Recently, a 2 bedroom and den unit in my condo building sold. After the sale, the realtor left notices at every unit boasting of how he sold the unit for “more than any other unit” had ever sold for and that he would be happy to “assess” any other units that were thinking of selling.
I wasn’t very impressed – there aren’t THAT many two bedroom units in the building. The majority of the condos are one bedroom units. So of course a two bed and den unit would sell more than any other unit in recent memory. Plus, unsolicited flyers make me go grr. I certainly wasn’t going to give this guy any business and promptly tossed the flyer away and forgot about it.
Then one day this week, when I arrived home, there was a notice from the building’s strata council. It was the minutes from the last meeting. The council had discussed a request to amend the bylaws to allow 2 cats in a unit instead of just one. After a vote, they decided to decline the request and left the bylaws as-is. The instigator of the request? Oh… just the proud new owners of a 2 bedroom and den unit.
Apparently, the buyer’s superstar realtor had neglected to read the building bylaws. And the buyer, who was willing to fork out an impressive amount of money for a relatively small 2 bedroom and den unit, also did not read the building bylaws. And the bylaws clearly state that there is only one pet allowed.
After I enjoyed my little bit of schadenfreude, I reflected on how lucky I was to have a great realtor. Buying a condo, or any home, is a big step. There are lots of potential complications and it is up to the buyer to ask the right questions! Things like bylaws can be dry, but it’s important to know what the rules are before you move in.
As it stands, the new owner will not be allowed to keep both of his cats in his new home. In spite of the obnoxious realtor, I feel bad for the cats 🙁
Has any one else bought a home only to get an unpleasant surprise?
