What to Expect When You Own a Pet at Moravian Meadows

Almost all condominium communities have rules and regulations spelled out in their by-laws regarding pets. Yet, the greatest number of complaints board members at Moravian Meadows get are about pets; dogs in particular, since dogs and their people tend to interact more frequently with their neighbors. If you own a pet, especially a dog, it is vital you know and understand the rules you signed up for when purchasing your property at Moravian Meadows.

Recently, there has been some confusion about whether condo associations are even allowed by law to have rules governing the ownership of pets. The answer is yes, not only are condo and homeowners’ associations allowed to set rules about pet ownership in their communities, a condo association is allowed to set size limitations on dogs and other animals. Furthermore, rulings made by courts in other states, do not necessarily apply to citizens in Michigan.

Another source of confusion about the rules governing pets at Moravian Meadows exists because homeowners have either inherited their property from a family member and didn’t get a look at the by-laws, were not taken through the proper procedures by the previous owner, or simply didn’t bother to read the by-laws before purchasing their property.

So, what are your obligations if you own a pet – or are considering owning a pet at Moravian Meadows? Let’s go over it.

First, owning a pet at Moravian Meadows is no different than owning a pet in any other community; it is a privilege, not a right. Article VI, Sections 5 (B) (1-7) and (C) on page 17 of the Moravian Meadows Condominium By-Laws spells out the rules governing pet ownership at Moravian Meadows. We recommend you read it. If you do not have a copy of the by-laws, you need one. Please contact the board at (586) 493-0591 or email us at moravian.meadows3@gmail.com so we can provide you with a copy. There is a fee for copying. But if you do not want to incur the fee for copying, there is a downloadable version on the home page at Moravian-Meadows.com that you can print for yourself.

The main points are:

1) No more than two household pets per unit are allowed;

2) There is a registration fee of $25.00 along with some paperwork required

(e.g., Macomb County license for dogs, not cats, and proof of vaccination,

for dogs and cats);

3) You must pick up after your pet immediately;

4) No savage or dangerous animals are allowed; and

5) The board can and may assess fines for violations, up to and including removal of the pet.

The size restriction for pets can be found on the Application to Keep an Animal on the Premises form, which is also downloadable at Moravian-Meadows.com.

If you currently have a pet – registered or not, please join us for a courtesy pet registration event on Saturday, September 16, 2023, between 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the gatehouse on Majestic Boulevard. We are offering this event as a goodwill gesture for our homeowners because we appreciate each of you and want you and your pet to have the best living experience possible here. Check your current newsletter or go to Moravian-Meadows.com for information about the rain date for this event.

All homeowners who presently have pets need to stop at the gate house on September 16th between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to get your Moravian Meadows pet tag. You will receive a Moravian Meadows identification tag for each pet. These tags will let us know where our furry friends are in case of an emergency. In addition to making sure our homeowners get out safely in an emergency, we’d want to rescue your pet too.

We hope you will join us on September 16th!

See you in the next post . . .

Cordially,

Ed Mroz

President, Moravian Meadows Homeowners Association