definition for "usual common household pet"

Bbarbara,

Dogs,(size or breeds), Domestic Cats, Fish in tanks (limit to Gallons) Common cage birds(no parrots, mynah,etc) No Reptiles. In Florida it has become a huge problem with pet reptiles getting loose and breeding out of control (aka Burmese Pythons) Hamsters, Guinnie pigs, no rats (again, getting loose into the environment.

A couple of years ago, a 20 foot python was curled up along I-95 near Miami and he has not been the only ones rescued. Yuk!

Ah, the simple joy of drawing a line in the sand... and watching everyone argue.

Donna gave us a fine start (agree with her opinion or not, she at least tossed it out there).

Things to think about adding to the list as acceptable or not acceptable:

chickens//duck/geese/game hens/guinea fowl
pigs/mini-pigs/pot bellied pigs
insects (crickets, for one, were very popular in Japan)
horses/mini horses
rabbits/hares
arachnids
crustaceans
mollusks
amphibians
better definition of "common cage bird": Common like "house finch" or common like "normally sold in every pet store"
bats/mice/squirrels
martins/weasels/ferrets
goats

Mary,
My Florida next door had 2 Africans who she kept in the house and always with doors closed. What nice birds! Then a couple of doors down, her African Grey swore, screemed like a raped ape and wolf whistled. He could be heard for 2 holes away on the golf course. Needless to say, the screaming did him in with the Board. Either he stayed indoors OR he got the boot. They now keep him indoors which is a shame in beautiful S. Florida weater. The moral of the story is-----Don't teach the bird to scream and swear.

Glen, two things I see "wrong" with the regulation you shared (and many many others i have experienced in the past, not just the one you provided):

the undefined and vague "household pet" clause (ie, a household pet is what, exactly? anything i can fit into my house and call a pet? potbellied pigs? shetland ponies? what is a household pet?)

and the ban on any animal NOT a dog, cat or household pet.

given that people are animals, are they banned? and if you allow an exemption for that animal, what criteria do you have to ban others? My first argument to the board would be "You allow that animal to live in the HOA, but not this one. show me the rule that allows that one to be exempted."

To argue JanetB2's statement, however; when you voluntarily join an HOA (ie, sign a contract with them), you agree to forego many of your rights, in order to enjoy the benefits of the HOA. Among those rights can be to abide by more restrictive rules on any number of things that might otherwise be "legal" had you not given up said rights in entering the contract.

In another thread, it was wisely pointed out by another member that far too many people have no basic understanding of this concept, and what it means to enter into a privatized democracy like an HOA. It is only too late that they realize what rights they have given up for ownership in the HOA.

As Janet is pointing out, rules in an HOA can change... one of the things that most folks don't realize when they enter the contract is that the rules can be changed, sometimes by a simply majority, sometimes by even less. It all underscores the importance of knowing not only the rules as they are written when you enter the contract (No pets allowed except X, Y, and Z), but also understand how easily the rules can be changed (No rule or regulation in this code may be changed unless a 4/5th majority of homeowners approves) (Rules may be modified by a simple majority of the board or any committee having jurisdiction over the regulation after a suitable period of public review and comment).

Per your request:
You asked, essentially, for a definition of usual and common

Any living animal, not otherwise illegal to own/keep by zoning, city, county, state or federal law, that is owned by at least 5% of the Population of the United States, per the most recently available US Census data.

Brian,

"Per the most recently available U.S. census data?" Geez, I cannot remember that question on my census form.

every census changes things, but there was data from the census bureau on pet ownership from the 2000 census (although the website is currently under change because of the 2010 census data coming in, it is no longer available by the link i used to use for it, i checked it today and the info/link is gone).


This is interesting as well, for many reasons:

Domesticated animal would preclude many animals that are sometimes considered pets, such as monkeys, ferrets, apes/chimps, some bird species (parrots are not truly domesticated, for example, nor are many parakeets, while some species are), etc.. But, i have never seen a domesticated fish or turtle, but they are allowed, it seems.

This Federal rule states that conflicting local rules would apply, so if a local regulation ALLOWED snakes, then the fed rule would have too. kind of unusual.

and although this states rodents are allowed, you still get stuck on the domesticated portion... so you can have a rabbit (even if it isn't domesticated?), as well as white mice and rats, but not a squirrel, nor non-domesticated rats or mice.

Reptiles are excluded, except turtles, which is odd, because relatively few people ever keep turtles. Most people who have shelled reptiles as pets have tortoises or terrapins, which are not allowed by this law, apparently. It appears as long as you keep it in an water-filled aquarium, the Feds are okay with it. But, no snakes, no lizards, no fence swifts or geckos.

No insects (crickets) or spiders (tarantulas) or hermit crabs in the house.

And, no shrimp, horseshoe crabs, lobsters or clams/oysters/squid/octupus in your aquaria either. Just fish and turtles.