HOBOKEN—Over the next month, residents of a high-end condo complex in Hoboken’s northern end will vote on whether to bag their doggie policy. Currently, the Master Deed of the 526-unit Hudson Tea Building at Fifteenth and Washington streets bans residents from having dogs larger than 25 pounds or more than one dog. An ongoing vote-by-mail referendum considers eliminating the weight limit and raising the pet per unit limit to two.
Hudson Tea’s building manager says he is simply trying to settle an ongoing debate between residents who think the pet policy should be strictly enforced and those who think it should be replaced. But some argue that the poll is an excuse to seek the eviction of current dog-happy residents.
The building-wide pet plebiscite was announced by the Hudson Tea condominium Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 15. Two-thirds of all Hudson Tea condominium owners must vote in favor of the changes in order for them to pass.
Hudson Tea resident Pro Bose argues that the board initiated the vote “knowing full well that very few of the 500 units will actually cast a vote since they don’t feel passionately either way.”
The real purpose of the vote, he said, was to “provide ammunition” for a crackdown on residents who have so far been allowed to keep large dogs or more than one dog.
Building Manager Vito Lanotte denied any animus against dog owners but granted that enforcement would increase if the pet policy was upheld.
“Apparently some people have taken it upon themselves to violate that rule,” said Lanotte in reference to current owners with large dogs and multiple dogs. Lanotte had been Building Manager from 2005 to 2008, and only returned to the job earlier this year.
If the current policy is upheld, said Lanotte, “we’ll stick with the old rules, and we’ll enforce them.” Current violators will be served with a “nice letter” asking them to come into compliance within 30 days, followed if necessary by a more strongly worded letter, then a fine. If a violator continues to resist, Lanotte said he or she could be sued for non-payment, potentially resulting in liens or foreclosure.
In New York state, landlords are prohibited from evicting pet owners from no-pet buildings if they have kept their animal “openly” and “notoriously” for at least three months. No equivalent law exists in New Jersey.
For Lanotte, both the vote and any subsequent enforcement of the pet policy come down to fairness. “We have an obligation to the unit owners that moved in with the understanding that the Master Deed prohibited these things,” he said.
Luxury Hoboken condo building to vote on policy banning big dogs
