Friday, November 17, 2006

Fine Print vs Invisible Ink

Owners in a townhouse community have been prohibited by their homeowners association from smoking inside their home. Two heavy smokers sued to have the rule invalidated - and lost. Apparently the smell of cigarette smoke was leaking into other units. I'm not a cigarette smoker, I don't like the smell, am happy smoking is banned in bars, think Big Tobbacco is corrupt and deserves to be bankrupted out of existence, but banning smoking IN YOUR OWN FREAKIN' HOME???? And, while I think you make a deal with the devil when you buy property governed by an association (coops here in the city), and you must understand that you are buying property with diminished rights, could the people in this case have forseen this? Which brings up the other side of the coin, if like minded people want to get together to build a smoke free community, as long as everyone knows in advance, go for it. This is a perversion of what property rights have historically meant. To impose these rules post facto on the basis of a homeowner's agreement that was never intended to cover events like this strikes me as unjust. First and last show of sympathy for smokers by Big D.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

why can't they smoke with a window open? or blow the smoke out the window?

whatever...no sympathy for smokers. sell and move out.

Tobacco lobbyist should take the appeal pro bono.