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Tenants grapple with apartment owner over demand to declaw pets
By Jutta Biggerstaff / Hi-Desert Star
JOSHUA TREE - A local apartment complex owner has backed down from requiring his tenants with cats to declaw their pets after residents complained, and after he was contacted by an attorney for the Animal Preservation and Rescue League.
Instead, he has imposed an additional pet deposit of $400 on top of the $200 residents have already paid.
Ted Halter, who owns Sunset Village Apartments in Joshua Tree, just purchased the property about six months ago. The housing unit is a government-subsidized complex for senior citizens and handicapped and disabled people and is comprised of 33 small, one-bedroom units. Seven of the tenants own cats.
About a month ago Halter informed tenants with cats that they must have them declawed.
The edict was met with resistance by the cat owners, who feel declawing cats is inhumane.
The manager of the property, Betty Keenan, refused to answer any questions and referred all inquiries to the owner, whose office is located in Sun City. Halter was unavailable for comment and did not return a telephone call made to his office.
Ben Reel, a caretaker for 87-year-old Howard Miller, who lives in Sunset Village, said the cat issue is the worst of many edicts and demands the new owner has issued.
“The manager is very heavy-handed, and she has everybody intimidated,” he said. “Most of these rules and regulations were not enforced until the new owner took over about six months ago, and the problems started a couple of months later.”
Reel has been living at the complex and taking care of Miller for about six months as well. His black and white cat, Ezra, and Miller have become close, and the elderly man, who suffers from several health problems, has become quite fond of the cat.
The news that the animal had to be declawed upset him greatly, Reel said. Ezra wasn't too happy, either.
Reel contacted Bryan Pease, an attorney with the Animal Protection and Rescue League in San Diego, who talked to Halter's attorney.
“Apparently, they were under the impression that the declawing was required. But it's not required, it's only an example of a policy,” he said. “There's no way that federal law or any other law would require cats to be declawed because it's such a cruel procedure. It's been outlawed in several jurisdictions.”
According to a policy developed by the Association of Housing and Urban Development Management Agents, the pet policy is simply a guide that may be used in senior citizen projects.
The guidelines state that tenants can own only one cat, and it must be declawed, spayed or neutered, have all its vaccinations and be trained to the litter box.
“The federal government does not say that the owner has to enforce this policy, but I was very gruffly told that ‘We're going to enforce it,'” Reel said.
But Pease said Halter's attorney would look into it, and as long as it wasn't required, he would recommend that the owner not require the declawing, which is the decision Halter announced to residents last week.
“I would've been willing to litigate this if they had forced the tenants to do something cruel to their cats,” Pease said. “These people have lived here for years, and apparently one guy has a 17-year-old cat.”
Halter's next move was to inform the residents with cats of the additional $400 deposit. In one concession to the limited income of his tenants, Halter is allowing them to pay $40 a month for 10 months.
Though residents are relieved their cats will not be declawed, they are still upset over the additional pet deposit, which they said is a lot of money to people on their limited incomes.
When Reel questioned the deposit, Halter explained to Reel the reason is the possible damage the cats may cause to the walls and floors of the building. Tenants provide their own furniture.
“The $400 seems arbitrary and excessive,” Pease said. “It seems like a retaliatory measure for the tenants' challenging the policy.”
Reel said charging an additional $400 is outrageous.
“Most of these people can't afford $40 a month, so they're going to have to scrimp and save to get the money,” he said.
As of now, if a resident's cat dies and he or she wants to get another one, it must be declawed. Any new resident with a cat must have it declawed as well.
One elderly woman, who didn't want to be identified, said everybody who lives in the complex is upset by all the changes. She said she is afraid that if she gives her name, the new owner will find a way to kick her out.
She was upset when she found out she had to declaw her cat.
“I heard it was painful, and a cat can lose its mind over it,” she said. “They told us we could get rid of the cat or move.”
The woman, who has lived in Sunset Village for four years, said paying the $400 will be difficult because she lives on Social Security. She believes the new owner is trying to force the tenants out so he can charge higher rates for the apartments.
With subsidizing, the retiree only pays $199 per month, and she was informed by the manager recently that her apartment could rent for more than $700 a month.
Gigi Minor, 88, another resident of Sunset Village, also believes Halter is trying to force the elderly people out of the complex.
“He's making it difficult for them because he wants to get rid of these people,” she said.
Minor had plans to adopt the cat of a neighbor who is moving, but had to cancel them because of the current situation at the complex. She is a tiny, fiery woman who used to work as a psychiatric nurse.
“These people can't afford $400 dollars more,” she insisted. “It just isn't fair what they're doing.”
Unlike many of the other residents at the complex, Minor is unafraid to discuss the cat problem and other issues at the apartments. She has lived in Sunset Village for five years.
Minor had a Persian cat named T.C. for many years that she cremated after he died almost two years ago. But for her, T.C. was more than a pet; he was a companion, someone to talk to and sit with.
She said younger people don't realize what it's like when your children are grown and gone and your spouse dies. All of a sudden you're alone.
“So the people find themselves all alone, and they have nothing else, but they do have a cat. And all you have is a cat to wake up to,” she said. “You can't go through your life with nothing, believe me. It's better to be dead.”
Minor's voice broke and she wiped tears from her eyes. She described the loneliness of the elderly, and the love and companionship a pet affords them. For some seniors, their pet is their only enjoyment.
“You can't just take something away from them that means so much to them,” she said. “You have to have something to look forward to, someone to sit with you and someone that loves you.”
Instead, he has imposed an additional pet deposit of $400 on top of the $200 residents have already paid.
Ted Halter, who owns Sunset Village Apartments in Joshua Tree, just purchased the property about six months ago. The housing unit is a government-subsidized complex for senior citizens and handicapped and disabled people and is comprised of 33 small, one-bedroom units. Seven of the tenants own cats.
About a month ago Halter informed tenants with cats that they must have them declawed.
The edict was met with resistance by the cat owners, who feel declawing cats is inhumane.
The manager of the property, Betty Keenan, refused to answer any questions and referred all inquiries to the owner, whose office is located in Sun City. Halter was unavailable for comment and did not return a telephone call made to his office.
Ben Reel, a caretaker for 87-year-old Howard Miller, who lives in Sunset Village, said the cat issue is the worst of many edicts and demands the new owner has issued.
“The manager is very heavy-handed, and she has everybody intimidated,” he said. “Most of these rules and regulations were not enforced until the new owner took over about six months ago, and the problems started a couple of months later.”
Reel has been living at the complex and taking care of Miller for about six months as well. His black and white cat, Ezra, and Miller have become close, and the elderly man, who suffers from several health problems, has become quite fond of the cat.
The news that the animal had to be declawed upset him greatly, Reel said. Ezra wasn't too happy, either.
Reel contacted Bryan Pease, an attorney with the Animal Protection and Rescue League in San Diego, who talked to Halter's attorney.
“Apparently, they were under the impression that the declawing was required. But it's not required, it's only an example of a policy,” he said. “There's no way that federal law or any other law would require cats to be declawed because it's such a cruel procedure. It's been outlawed in several jurisdictions.”
According to a policy developed by the Association of Housing and Urban Development Management Agents, the pet policy is simply a guide that may be used in senior citizen projects.
The guidelines state that tenants can own only one cat, and it must be declawed, spayed or neutered, have all its vaccinations and be trained to the litter box.
“The federal government does not say that the owner has to enforce this policy, but I was very gruffly told that ‘We're going to enforce it,'” Reel said.
But Pease said Halter's attorney would look into it, and as long as it wasn't required, he would recommend that the owner not require the declawing, which is the decision Halter announced to residents last week.
“I would've been willing to litigate this if they had forced the tenants to do something cruel to their cats,” Pease said. “These people have lived here for years, and apparently one guy has a 17-year-old cat.”
Halter's next move was to inform the residents with cats of the additional $400 deposit. In one concession to the limited income of his tenants, Halter is allowing them to pay $40 a month for 10 months.
Though residents are relieved their cats will not be declawed, they are still upset over the additional pet deposit, which they said is a lot of money to people on their limited incomes.
When Reel questioned the deposit, Halter explained to Reel the reason is the possible damage the cats may cause to the walls and floors of the building. Tenants provide their own furniture.
“The $400 seems arbitrary and excessive,” Pease said. “It seems like a retaliatory measure for the tenants' challenging the policy.”
Reel said charging an additional $400 is outrageous.
“Most of these people can't afford $40 a month, so they're going to have to scrimp and save to get the money,” he said.
As of now, if a resident's cat dies and he or she wants to get another one, it must be declawed. Any new resident with a cat must have it declawed as well.
One elderly woman, who didn't want to be identified, said everybody who lives in the complex is upset by all the changes. She said she is afraid that if she gives her name, the new owner will find a way to kick her out.
She was upset when she found out she had to declaw her cat.
“I heard it was painful, and a cat can lose its mind over it,” she said. “They told us we could get rid of the cat or move.”
The woman, who has lived in Sunset Village for four years, said paying the $400 will be difficult because she lives on Social Security. She believes the new owner is trying to force the tenants out so he can charge higher rates for the apartments.
With subsidizing, the retiree only pays $199 per month, and she was informed by the manager recently that her apartment could rent for more than $700 a month.
Gigi Minor, 88, another resident of Sunset Village, also believes Halter is trying to force the elderly people out of the complex.
“He's making it difficult for them because he wants to get rid of these people,” she said.
Minor had plans to adopt the cat of a neighbor who is moving, but had to cancel them because of the current situation at the complex. She is a tiny, fiery woman who used to work as a psychiatric nurse.
“These people can't afford $400 dollars more,” she insisted. “It just isn't fair what they're doing.”
Unlike many of the other residents at the complex, Minor is unafraid to discuss the cat problem and other issues at the apartments. She has lived in Sunset Village for five years.
Minor had a Persian cat named T.C. for many years that she cremated after he died almost two years ago. But for her, T.C. was more than a pet; he was a companion, someone to talk to and sit with.
She said younger people don't realize what it's like when your children are grown and gone and your spouse dies. All of a sudden you're alone.
“So the people find themselves all alone, and they have nothing else, but they do have a cat. And all you have is a cat to wake up to,” she said. “You can't go through your life with nothing, believe me. It's better to be dead.”
Minor's voice broke and she wiped tears from her eyes. She described the loneliness of the elderly, and the love and companionship a pet affords them. For some seniors, their pet is their only enjoyment.
“You can't just take something away from them that means so much to them,” she said. “You have to have something to look forward to, someone to sit with you and someone that loves you.”
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GGWebGrrl wrote on Jan 17, 2009 1:59 PM: