JUST BARK BACK

The following appeared on Boston.com (from Boston Globe):
Headline: Barking back at neighborhood dog noise
Date: Nov 4, 2010

"DEAR BENNY: What can be done about dogs that bark all the time? I live in a gated development in a homeowners association. The board says they cannot do anything about it, but I don't see how that is possible. What is the board for? --Bill"
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DEAR BILL: Good question about what the purpose of a board of directors is. Legally, they are the equivalent of the executive branch of any government. Their function is to manage, operate and enforce the legal documents of your association.

Unfortunately, there are some board members who seem to serve only so they can be called "Mr. (or Madam) president." It's an ego trip for them.

Now, before I get hundreds of nasty e-mails complaining about that last statement, I have to say that from my experience the vast majority of board members are honest, hard-working and dedicated to preserving the quality of life in their community.

But community associations can be big business; often, the budget of a condo or an HOA is larger than many commercial establishments. So board members often find themselves not capable of handling the affairs of their association.

I am confident that your legal documents prohibit excessive noise and nuisances. How do you prove that the barking dogs are violating the noise and nuisance requirements of your association?

To see more, click on the link below or copy and paste it into a Web browser:
http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/articles/2010/11/02/barking_back_at_neighborhood_dog_noise/?s_campaign=8315