[janmcn]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

I agree, the builder can't restrict certain basic rights, like freedom of speech. But other than basic rights, they can restrict almost anything they want to. Now that I've had some time to collect my thoughts, let me give a simple comparison to explain how you can compare The Villages with N.Y.C., regarding freedom.

We willingly give up many freedoms in The Villages for the betterment of the community. This is commonly done in most communities all across the country. So why single out the Mayor of N.Y.C. for his desire to create restrictions?

The Villages:

In The Villages, we give up the freedom to choose the exterior color of our house in exchange for a neutral (bland) color scheme. This restriction, a loss of freedom, was put in place by the developer. Why? Basically, it's a control issue. If left up to individual residents to choose their own color, they might not choose wisely. And this is seen as protecting the community.

New York City:

It's no different than what Mayor Bloomberg is trying to do in N.Y.C. He wants to control the portion size of soda and reduce it from 20oz. to 16oz. because he doesn't trust N.Y.C. residents to choose wisely. And this, like the previous example, is also seen as protecting the community.

Note: Whether one likes it or not is another issue.

Check your deed restrictions. There is no restriction on the color you can choose to paint the outside of your house in The Villages.