It is a New York
broker's
nightmare. The perfect buyer emerges from the fog of the
uncertain real-estate market,
willing and able -- even eager -- to put hard cash down on a
classic Upper East Side
apartment with a multimillion-dollar price tag.
是纽约经纪商的恶梦。完美的买家从飘忽不定的楼市迷雾中现身出来,他们愿意、也有能力、甚至是满心渴望在上东区标价数百万美元的经典公寓上砸下重金。
Only one problem stands in the way: a King Charles spaniel with
fluffy ears. Or maybe a Yorkshire terrier named Max or Princess.
拦路虎只有一个:一只有着毛茸茸耳朵的查理王小猎犬或是一只名叫"马克斯"或"王子"的约克夏。
It happened to Robby Browne, a
broker for Corcoran Group, when he put a $5 million, three-bedroom condo with a
balcony and
terrace on the market last year. Mr. Browne was forced to turn away a
stream of would-be buyers who counted their pets as members of the family. This included a couple with a King Charles, which typically weigh no more than 18 pounds and stand 13 inches tall at most. An
exception would not be made.
房地产公司Corcoran Group的经纪商罗比•布朗(Robby Browne)就碰到了这样的恶梦。去年他把一套标价500万美元、有三间卧室、带阳台和露台的公寓挂牌出售。布朗不得不拒绝了很多把宠物视为家人的潜在买家。其中包括一对养了一只查理王小猎犬的夫妇。这种狗通常体重不超过18磅,身高最多只有13英寸。就算是这样也不能破例。
'Two-thirds of the calls [seeking information] were turned away because of pets,' Mr. Browne said. 'No-pet policies cost the sellers money in any market.'
布朗说,有三分之二的咨询电话都因为宠物问题被拒绝了。在任何一个市场上,"禁止养宠物"的政策都让卖家少赚了钱。
Dogs
ownership has climbed in New York City in the past
decade as
middle-class families have returned from the suburbs in
significant numbers and brought Rover with them. Much of the city, in turn, has become more dog-friendly. But as the real-estate market attempts to
regain its
footing, some are
finding that old anti-dog biases are hard to break.
过去10年来,随着大量中产阶级家庭带着宠物狗从郊区搬回市区,纽约市宠物狗的数量在不断增加。随之而来的是,纽约市的大部分地区对狗的态度都变得更加友好。不过随着房地产市场试图重新站稳脚跟,一些人发现反对养狗的传统偏见很难打破。
'Buildings fight tooth and nail over dogs,' said Steven Wagner, a real-estate
lawyer who represents many co-op and condo boards.
代表很多合作公寓和共管公寓管理委员会的房地产律师瓦格纳(Steven Wagner)说,居民们拼命反对宠物狗。
Last year, Michele Kleier, a
broker and president of Gumley Haft Kleier, put a Fifth Avenue duplex on the market in a building with a
strict no-pet
policy. The family-size
apartment was listed for more than $6 million, she said. But 23 of 26
potential buyers were turned away because they owned dogs or cats.
去年,房地产公司Gumley Haft Kleier的经纪商、总裁克莱尔(Michele Kleier)将第五大道的一套复式公寓挂牌出售,该公寓所在楼有着严格的"禁止养宠物"的政策。她说,这套适合家庭居住的公寓标价为600多万美元。不过26位潜在买家中有23个都因为有宠物狗或猫而被拒绝了。
'We had no one to show it to, and the owner took the
apartment off the market,' said Ms. Kleier. 'One of the worst things a building can do is have a no-pet
policy.'
克莱尔说,我们的公寓没有买家可以展示,房主最后只好不卖了。一座楼最糟糕的就是"禁止养宠物"的政策。
One
prospective buyer, Annie Schulhof, recently looked at an
apartment on East 70th Street. but
decided to look
elsewhere when she
learned the building set both a weight limit and required a bond for dogs. 'My dog is a member of the family,' said Ms. Schulhof.
潜在买家舒尔霍夫(Annie Schulhof)最近看了东70街上的一套公寓,不过当她得知那座楼对宠物狗的体重有限制,而且必须拴狗链之后,决定再到别处看看。她说,我的狗狗是家里的一员。
Some older co-ops and condos have
abandoned" target="_blank" title="a.被抛弃的;无约束的">
abandoned anti-dog policies in the face of legal challenges from dog owners.
在狗主人发起的法律官司面前,一些更老的合作公寓或共管公寓取消了"禁止养狗"的政策。
In January, the board of Penn South, a 15-building, limited-income co-op development with 2,820
apartments, voted to
abandon a no-dog
policy dating back nearly 50 years. Instead, it agreed to allow one dog per
apartment with adult weights of less than 80 pounds or two dogs weighing up to 30 pounds each.
1月份,Penn South的管理委员会投票取消了已经有近50年历史的"禁止养狗"政策。这个社区有15座楼,2,820套公寓,是为收入有限的人建设的合作公寓项目。相反,委员会同意每套公寓养一只成年体重在80磅以下的狗,或两只每只体重不超过30磅的狗。
A few years ago, the residents had
narrowly rejected a plan to allow dogs. But Naomi Goldstein, communications
director at Penn South, said the board reversed the
policy to avoid continued spending on legal fees to battle pet owners.
几年前,居民们以微弱优势否决了允许养狗的计划。不过,Penn South公关主管戈尔茨坦(Naomi Goldstein)说,如今委员会取消了禁止养狗的政策,以避免不断花钱和宠物主人打官司。
Some newly constructed condos try
taking a middle line, welcoming pets but under re
strictive conditions. That might mean only certain breeds of dogs or those weighing less than 20 pounds are allowed.
一些新建公寓试图走中间路线,它们欢迎宠物,但有限制条件。这可能意味着只能养某些品种的狗或体重在20磅以下的狗。
Still, most co-op boards that ban dogs are
unlikely to drop their no-pet policies. 'I am not
seeing much flexibility,' said Stuart Saft, a co-op and condo
lawyer. 'Boards are not changing their rules because the market is a little soft.'
尽管如此,大部分禁止养狗的合作公寓委员会不太可能会放弃"禁止养宠物"的政策。合作和共管公寓律师萨夫特(Stuart Saft)说,我没看到太多的灵活性,委员会是不会因为市场有些疲弱就改变他们的规定的。
Mr. Saft added that any
significant change in pet re
strictions will have to come from the City Council, the state Legislature or the courts. 'It is not a problem for the co-op or condo boards,' he said. 'It is a problem for the people who are
trying to sell.'
萨夫特还说,只有市议会、州立法机构或是法院才能对限制宠物的规定做出任何重大改变。他说,这对合作公寓或共管公寓委员会不是问题,对那些试图出售房子的人才是问题。