Condominium owners tell smokers: Take it outside (but not on balcony either)

[The Straight Story]

Condominium owners tell smokers: Take it outside

Residents at La Rive in Minneapolis voted to make their building smoke-free. It brings the fight over smoking bans into the living room.

By JIM BUCHTA, Star Tribune

Last update: February 13, 2008 - 10:10 PM

Residents of a tony, high-rise condominium along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis are among the first to vote to make their building smoke-free, taking Minnesota's battle over smoking bans into private homes.

The rule, at La Rive Condominiums near St. Anthony Main, covers individual units, common areas, garages and private balconies. Current owners who want to smoke will be grandfathered in, but future buyers will have to abide by the rule.

Opponents say the ban is an intrusion into private property rights that could hurt resale prospects at a time when the market is already soft. Supporters counter that, not only do they have a right to breathe clean air, but nonsmoking potential buyers will see going smoke-free as a plus.

http://www.startribune.com/local/15617577.html

[rwheeler31]

1. Privacy is not a priority.

[originalpckelly]

2. If it's unobtrusive, no one will no you're smoking in your condo...

On the other hand, if they can smell it, they'll know you're smoking, and since they can smell it, it will harm their health, I guess.

[El Pinko]

3. I think if the condo was marketed as non-smoking from its construction, it would be fair.

Suddenly changing the bylaws so that smokers can no longer use their units as when they bought them is unfair and unreasonable.

[high density]

5. No it only applies to new residents

The current residents are all grandfathered. When the unit is sold it turns into a non-smoking unit.

[El Pinko]

6. Eh, I guess that's no biggie then...

nt

[Warpy]

4. To me, it would depend on the heating and air conditioning system

If it's a forced air system and all the units are on the same system, this ban makes a lot of sense, although people who use ashtrays/butt cans out on the balcony shouldn't be penalized.

I've lived in apartment units where people who smoked shared it with everybody else, whether or not we all wanted it. It was miserable. I broke leases because of it.

I've also lived in buildings with steam heat where there was only a faint smell of smoke out in the hallways. It wasn't perfume, but it didn't bother my asthma so I stayed in those buildings a lot longer.

So this might or might not be an unreasonable intrusion into private space. It all depends on whose space is being intruded upon and how.

[AlCzervik]

7. it's for future owners, that rule will be the bylaws, they'll be informed, whats the big deal?

people looking to buy will now have a choice.

[lonestarnot]

8. What kind of cracker boxes are they anyway, and who would want one if the walls are made out of

paper?

[Missy Vixen]

9. We formerly lived in a townhouse that featured a "modified firewall".

There was a six-inch gap in the top of the wall between units. We were not aware of this (despite a stringent inspection,) before we bought our condo in a brand-new development. The next-door-neighbors (who moved in after we did,) were chain smokers. We ended up selling. Thank God someone bought that didn't mind the smoke that drifted into our house 24 hours a day.

I think that people should be able to smoke in their own homes, especially if it's a home one's already purchased. It's not my business. Outside? Not my business. If they want to smoke in their car, I'll drive my own car.

The only way that building should have gone smoke free (and again, I don't smoke,) is if it had been agreed on from its inception. People can move out of an apartment. They will have much more trouble (and financial disadvantage,) trying to sell a condo in this market.

Julie

[MrSlayer]

10. I'd start pan-frying liver.

Just to fuck with them.

[varkam]

11. What the hell?

"..not only do they have a right to breathe clean air..."

Kay, that argument only goes so far. When you start talking about not letting people smoke in their own homes, that line of reasoning gets a bit silly.