Are Residents "Monkeying Around" Your Pet Policy?
A Day in The Life...
Every community has pet restrictions. These policies are outlined to prospective residents and more clearly defined upon move-in. While dogs and cats are usually accepted at most properties, occasionally onsite personnel will come across an “occupant” that catches them off-guard. Such was the case in this story, submitted from Austin, Texas. Taken from the book: I Have A Complex, But I’m Managing It!
Monkey Business
We had a woman who leased a one-bedroom apartment. She told us she was going through a rough divorce and might be getting a cat or small dog to keep her company. We reviewed our pet policy and she assured us she would let us know when and if she decided to get a pet.
The woman had been living in the apartment for about a month when she called the office and turned in a work order for a running toilet. We sent Mike, our maintenance man to make the repair. It wasn’t long before he called us in a panic, on his two-way radio. Mike told us he’d finished repairing the commode, but couldn’t leave the apartment because there was a screaming monkey blocking the front door.
Hang In There, Mike The Maintenance Man!
We could actually hear the frenzied chimp in the background. I immediately called the resident, who apologized profusely. She told me she was only ten minutes away from our property and would be right there to rescue our guy.
I radioed Mike, telling him to hang on and that help was on the way. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the resident raced into the parking lot. I watched as she unlocked her apartment door and a small monkey dressed in jeans and a t-shirt leapt into her open arms.
Stranger Danger?
The resident apologized at length, explaining that her ex-husband had a key to her apartment. They shared joint custody of Freddy the monkey. Her ex had dropped their pet off while Mike was busy working in the bathroom. He was not aware that anyone else was in the apartment.
She said Freddy must have been frightened when he realized a stranger was in her apartment, which was why he’d been shrieking hysterically. I calmly explained to the woman that our pet policy excluded monkeys, and she would need to call her ex-husband to come and retrieve Freddy immediately. It's situations like these that drive a property manager bananas!
From the book "I Have a Complex, but I'm Managing It!" Stories from property managers compiled by Monica E. Simmons.
