Last week, we wrote about Sam’s surprising discovery that his apartment complex was to be converted into a “European style” nudieland. The apartment complex apparently hadn’t notified its tenants, and Sam learned about it from a newspaper. Last weekend, Sam wrote in with an update.
Sam says he received the following letter from the property manager:
Dear Resident(s),
As some of you have recently seen or heard from media outlets the property will be converting to a condominium community which includes a clothing optional pool. Contrary to some media reports the community will not be a fully clothing optional community but rather will be limited to one pool area only . . . .
This change does not affect your lease in any way . . . .
We have prepared the following questions in order to have a clear understanding of how our residents feel about the planned change. We appreciate your understanding and help in this matter.
1. Would you be opposed to a clothing optional pool?
2. Would you move if the property proceeded with the clothing optional pool immediately?
3. Would you be interested in purchasing your condo with the addition of a clothing optional pool?
. . .
We will have a drawing from all surveys received by June 30, 2008 (Monday) and one recipient shall receive $100 off of July rent.
The clothing-optional pool only story is contrary to some media reports, mainly because we reported on the original version of Eden’s website, which has since changed. For example, this was the text we pasted directly from the site last week:
You’re going to be very comfortable with our dress code. Our residents are welcome to shed more than their inhibitions as they enter the gates of Eden. Because when our residents come home after a busy day in the working world, they want to completely unburden themselves, shed the trappings of the outside world… and be totally free.
Since then, someone has clumsily inserted “poolside” as a qualifier before the good stuff:
You’re going to be very comfortable with our poolside dress code. Our residents are welcome to shed more than their inhibitions as they enter the gates of Eden. Because when our residents come home after a busy day in the working world, they want to completely unburden themselves, shed the trappings of the outside world… and be totally free to be themselves in their poolside sanctuary.
Just to be totally clear, though, Eden has added the skeeziest FAQ ever, with questions like “Will people be allowed to get naked as soon as they enter the gate?” and “Will public sex be allowed?” Missing from the FAQ: “Will current residents who signed leases to live in a community without a sexy naked pool be allowed to break their leases now that you’re adding a sexy naked pool?”
Previously: So Apparently They Decided To Turn Our Apartment Complex Into A Nudist Colony
(Photo: Getty)
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And they could claim some sort of dumbass “majority rules” thing.
Bonus points to Consumerist for using the word “skeeziest” in a sentence.
@thelushie: I see. And this management has already shown that they’re not the most tenant friendly one out there.
Doesn’t changing parts of the community break terms in his lease anyway?
f- them (the community not the nudist)
@RetailGuy83: Let alone one that does NOT have mashed potatoes, corn dogs, french fries, fried chicken, and buttered rolls.
I think they do that to get the parents with children who are picky/messy eaters to come in. Easier to get a kid to eat chicken nuggets than it is to get them to eat fried rice.
Is this not removing one of the pools from common use? Thats an adverse situation.. or something. I ANAL. (I like to add the space.)
MY SISTER lives there
Nudity in Florida. Makes me think of that Golden Girls: Ladies, of a certain age, accidentally ending up naked when everyone else was dressed! Zaney!
The OP doesn’t know how lucky he has it. Srsly. Most apartment complexes are more likely not to open their pool at all due to cheap laziness.
@evslin: I know, just just want an eggroll…
this is great
ziiing
@se7a7n7: On behalf of old fat guys everywhere I would like to register a super jumbo sized protest. We like to get nekkid too, you know.
I’d have loved to live there back in my college days.
Except for the old people. That would be a major downer.
@Geekybiker: RTFA. They changed the website.
Though that one specific sentence did not contain “poolside” before, the rest of the website always made it pretty clear that nudity was limited to an adults only pool area. Heaven forbid you have to read more than one paragraph before reporting a story.
Meh. Get over it. It’s just skin.
@ThunderRoad: Oh come on. Don’t act like someone who doesn’t want to be around random naked strangers is uptight or something.
I love how so many people seem to think if you’re not totally keen on the idea of being around nudity then you’re a total prude. Yeah, because there’s no other options on that spectrum, are there?
My aunt and uncle are “naturists”. They’re currently looking for a “naturist retirement complex”. This place sounded remarkably like what they’ve been looking at over the last few months in the first post, believe it or not.
That’s one hell of a change to try to sneak by people without even asking how the current tenants felt about it. Perhaps if they’d notified current tenants first they wouldn’t have assumed the worst and this might not be such an issue. By hiding it and having it come out in the paper people assumed the worst.
The issue isn’t whether the tenant is being a prude because he doesn’t want to see nude people–the landlord is causing significant changes to the property without properly notifying the tenants.
This may suck, but it sounds like the tenant will just have to break the lease and then demand his security deposit back–and take them to small claims court if necessary. The tenant still has to be very careful to make sure he still leaves the apt. in great condition and follow all necessary protocol before vacating so that the judge will side with him.
It takes about 15 minutes to become totally adjusted to nudism. Everyone has a jiggle somewhere. So f’ng what?
@spryte: Now i see why you have the star by your name. That is a great point. I happen to love to be naked. In my own home. But I don’t want random skeevy guys gawking at my naughty bits. And I am no where near old and sagging.
Imagine what great conversation topic tenants now have. ”You know, we have nudist swimming pool, wanna come? There are no sex allowed
So, does the security guard have to make sure everybody in the nude pool is nude?
I would want to be paid extra for that. A lot extra.
They may want to think that it has no effect on existing leases.
I bet a judge would think differently.
Seems like an unhappy tenant with a webcam and pc could make their feelings known quite easily.
Jesus.
This is NOT in ANY WAY a “material change” to the lease. They are not requiring that tenants sign a form stating that they are perfectly OK with the pool, and they are not requiring a new deposit for the new pool area.
This is tantamount to the addition of a security gate – or the addition of a pool, tennis court, or other free amenity.
It cannot be (competently) argued that they are getting “less” service, and it cannot be (again, competently) argued that they are somehow getting less value for their dollar – but most leasing laws don’t guarantee that anyway.
@spryte:
@thelushie:
But then, they aren’t asking that you be OK nude in a crows, they’re asking that you be OK with someone else being nude – if you have a problem with *SOMEONE ELSE* being nude, you’re being a prude.
I have a problem being nude in front of others, but I really don’t care if other people want to walk around naked. It does not affect me.
@RvLeshrac: I have no problem with others being nude. Like I said, if someone wants to be nude, rock on. BUT I don’t want to be exposed to it against my will. Just like they have a right to be nude, I have a right not to have to look at them. I like looking at the nude male form if it is nice looking. I don’t want to be exposed to every male form just because they now can be nude.
I have already addressed why this sort of situation would not work out. Really, if they want to be “clothing optional”, the entire complex should be that way and then those who do not wish to live that way should be able to break their lease and move.
To me, being nude is being the same person but in a sensually charged ambience that is very pleasurable. Indeed I prefer being with my family and other sociable mixed gender naturists in clubs and resorts for all of our recreation or relaxation. My personal best was three weeks vacation at a resort in France, with everything except sandals put away for the entire duration. The strangeness of shirt and shorts to depart there was almost as strange as becoming a naturist many years before. As regards sex-life; being nude together promotes an appreciation of the pleasure that can be given one to another.
It is pretty pathetic to know this. This is supposed to be a free country, and in a free country one cannot be prosecuted for the choices of another. Sure, many people who have something better to do than think are offended by nudity. Many others are not. Clearly, being offended is a personal choice, and people have a right to make that choice, but no one should be required to cater to that choice as a matter of law. Nudity is not obscene and should not be offensive.If you find nudity offensive for its own sake, ask yourself WHY.Naturism is the great human equalizer. It’s about accepting yourself and others for who you are and not what you look like, own, or wear. It’s about de-stressing, relaxing, getting back to innocence. When I sit on my back deck in the morning or evening, contemplating my surroundings, I really feel close to God. I feel my batteries being recharged. The world is full of surprises and the secret naturist, who tends to explore country side and other areas not usually explored by ‘normal’ people and who also present an attractive target by being naked, tend to attract all manner of interesting creatures, many of which are intend on biting, stinging, eating and generally making life a misery for any unfortunate who passes by. Naturist looks like you and I and come from all walks of life. You will find it to be a relaxing lifestyle that is free of the daily stress we all experience. Naturist groups like naturistmingle.com are looking for people who are open minded and want to enjoy the company of others of a like mind.
hot naked people = free porn
ugly or fat naked people = free comedy
What seems to be the issue here?
@RvLeshrac: I have no problem with someone else being nude away from me. But you know, if I got on the bus and it was full of naked people…no thanks, I’ll walk.
I have no problem with nudity in certain circumstances. I have no problem with someone wanting to live as a nudist. And please try to remember that just because someone doesn’t feel the same way you do about something doesn’t make them automatically wrong. This is a subjective, not an objective, issue.
Thinking about this more today, I wonder what the policy on clothed people hanging out at the clothing-optional pool would be. If I was a nudist and was at that pool, and there were a couple dudes in clothes sitting around staring at people, that would be offensive. Most nudists do not live that way for exhibitionism or sexual gratification, so I can imagine it would be irritating if someone was ogling them as though they were up on a stripper pole. It would seem to me, if they want everyone to be comfortable, the pool should be ONLY for nudists to prevent the lookie-loos.
@spryte:
I can’t think of any nudists that would really mind others sitting around looking at them.
That’s part of the philosophy. You have to be very comfortable with yourself in order to live as a naturist/nudist. They’re not doing it *personally* for exhibitionism or sexual gratification, but (at least the majority) they’re not going to be bothered by people who are, so long as it doesn’t directly interfere with them.
As far as nudity goes, it isn’t a subjective issue excepting insofar as it doesn’t continue past one’s person. Nudity is subjective if you’re the one choosing whether or not you wish to walk around nude, but objectivity must set in where others are considered.
Keep in mind that the nude human form is natural, and the use of clothing is unnatural. Clothing was originally intended as utility – a way to shelter one’s body from the elements. It wasn’t intended to “cover up” and hide the body. If you’re uncomfortable around people who are nude, that’s a personal psychological problem. (And that’s not a personal, “you’re crazy if you think…” statement, that’s just a statement regarding human psychology.)