My wife and I and our cocker spaniel were recently guests in Briny Breezes. (Our friends allowed us to use their trailer so we could have a few weeks of R + R and, at the same time, explore the possibility of buying a place there.)
We were really enjoying ourselves until one day, about a week into our visit, we were sitting in rocking chairs on the clubhouse porch, and a woman rode up in her golf cart. She told us dogs were not allowed on the porch. She said she was “on the board” and that was the rule, even though it was not in the By-Laws. So, we left the porch, went back to our trailer, got beach chairs and sat on the grass near the clubhouse.
Within an hour the manager, Steve, drove up in golf cart and told us that dogs were not allowed on the lawn. We protested, politely, and told him that we had read the by-laws. We said that the by-laws clearly say no dogs in the buildings and no dogs on the beach, which (logically) suggests that dogs ought to be allowed on the lawn. He said he did not care what the by-laws said. He told us that he had been directed by a member of the board of directors to get our dog off the grass, and that the only rules he followed were the ones she made.
We were astonished and we are very worried for Briny: When management is done not by the published rules but rather according to the whims of petty individuals, someone who wants to follow the rules is not able to do so.
We had been considering finding a trailer to rent for next season, with a view to perhaps buying one. My wife had already inspected a half dozen on the for-sale list in the office, and we were thinking about how to approach the owners to talk turkey. With so many trailers presently for sale we thought we might be able to strike while the iron was hot.
Instead we cut our vacation short and drove home. It was such a disappointment. We wish all our friends in Briny the very best of luck and are sorry that we won't be joining you next winter.
Eli Bortman
Winchester, Massachusetts
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