Yes Or No?

I was looking at the listing in Sea Dip Resort, a Daytona Beach condo-hotel. 14 Active Listings

I noticed the confusion regarding pets. 4 listing avoided this information whatsoever. There is a blank space in place of the answer. 6 agents put “No” and 4 put “Yes”.

Interesting. Yes or no? The majority says “no”, but will you pass on buying a unit there to only find out later that it was “Yes”?

I sent e-mail to Denise Hutchinson, the listing agent of a few units there. In about half an hour, I was driving by this condo-hotel, and I stopped and asked the young guy at the Front Desk about their pet policy. He explained to me that owners can have a dog, but visitors can’t.

When I got to the office, I had e-mail from the Listing agent, and she said “No”. Hmm, so is it “Yes” or is it “No”? I emailed the listing agent, Denise Hutchinson of McColly Real Estate and explained what they told me at the property. She answered that she would research it, and I asked her to share with me what she finds.

Soon I received e-mail and there was the attachment. It was page 11 of the Condo Docs and item V stated:

Pets: No pets or animals shall be permitted in the units or upon the Condominium Property

That’s what I suspected. The practice is to allow the owners to have small dogs, but not allow the tenants to bring pets. However, it has never been registered this way, and the practice can change on a whim.

One complaint, one incident, and the Board would open their books, read and then say “Look, it says that there should be no pets here”.

And next thing you know they will post notices that there are no pets allowed, and will fine anyone having a dog in the unit.

That’s what happened 10 years ago in the Fountain Beach Resort. Pone day they decided that enough was enough and the only way to deal with one unruly and selfish dog owner was to dig into the Bylaws and find that pet have never been allowed in the resort.

Sometimes people claim that they are grandfathered, but they are really not. If there was a provision that pets were allowed, and then the members of the Association voted to change it to more restrictive, then you are grandfathered. But if it never allowed pets, and simply was not enforced, there is nothing you can do, as far as I understand.

By the way, the same story with Castaways Beach Resort. Everybody says that owners can have small pets, but not the guests, however their condo docs clearly state that no pets are allowed. Buyers beware. What employees tell you may be the practice, but not the rule.

On a separate note, condo-hotels are small and inexpensive properties. I often see agents looking down at them. That’s fine when they do not list and sell them. However, when agents list them, and keep looking down at them, knowing little to nothing about them, and not willing to learn, that’s very different.

I was pleasantly surprise by Denise. She did not have to research, I could do it myself and she knew it, but she never told me to figure it out. She listened and she researched. She is a diligent agent, and I am sure her clients understand and appreciate it.

And that makes my day.