My husband Richard and I have been looking for a new apartment for months. We finally found a wonderful apartment in a condo in our old neighborhood. It had spectacular views, a balcony from which to better view the views, plus the building had a pool and gym. The apartment itself was quite tiny, but given all the rest -- and the fact that it was cheaper than most other apartments I'd seen -- we jumped at it. But then our broker, Chris, told us that the apartment owner did not allow animals in the apartment.
We've heard this before, but the rule typically applied to dogs, not cats. So we explained this was a very tame, clean cat. The answer was still no. I called the landlord's agent directly and said we would pay a hefty deposit to cover any potential damage. And he said that the owners wouldn't take any amount of money! That they HATED all animals -- dogs,cats, birds, fish, etc. etc!
I literally started to shake at the thought of giving up Fazelnut. I told Richard and Chris I couldn't go through with the deal. They were both upset but understanding, although Richard kept saying we really could find a nice home for Faze. Not only was that out of the question, but I couldn't imagine having to deal with a landlord who hated all animals! What kind of person is that? So the deal was off, and we now call Fazelnut "Dealbreaker", among other things.
The good news is we since found a larger apartment for a lower rent. The view isn't as spectacular, but there is a pool and gym...and basement storage! But despite a no pet policy, our brokers for that apartment, Romina and Julie, convinced the landlord (obviously a nice, normal person) to accept our offer of a cat security deposit. And we don't have to worry about Fazelnut falling off a terrace!
If you've had difficulties renting or buying an apartment because of your pet, please share your stories -- and your solutions.
OUR CAT, FAZELNUT
FAZELNUT
FAZELNUT & REBECCA
My daughter, Rebecca,& Fazelnut, the cat she rescued
My friend, Lesley sent me this story related to my recent posts.
ReplyDelete"One of my friends, Jeannie, has a wonderful black lab named Casey. I met Jeannie when I used to walk my two Westies in Central Park at the crack of dawn, no matter what the weather. Jeannie is a widow and Casey was her late husband’s therapy dog. Casey flunked out of seeing-eye dog school but did make it as a therapy dog. After Jeannie’s husband died, Casey was inconsolable and then Jeanne was told that she would have to get rid of Casey since the building she lived in only allowed service dogs for the living. Needless to say, she moved out of her Upper East Side digs and found a place on West 58th Street. Jeannie has since met a new man and the three of them are happily living together and even have access to a country place in Vermont! The story doesn’t end there. When I was at my annual visit to Canyon Ranch in Tucson, AZ, last October, I was sitting in the elegant lobby waiting for a friend, when in walked a tall, handsome man, 60ish, with a black lab wearing a service dog coat. I asked the dog’s name and if I might pet him. The name was “Finney” and yes, by all means, pet him. I said “Well Finney, you remind me of my friend Casey who is a service dog in New York”. Finney’s owner turned to me and said “We know Casey and his owner Jeannie!”. Turned out that Finney and his owner live near Jeannie, and the dogs have worked together. Finney watches over his owner who tends to sleep walk and wander off, especially when they are in the home they own at Canyon Ranch. Small world!"