maintaining neat landscaping

[SUNNYMARYANN]

How does The Villages enforce the maintenance of the appearance and upkeep of homeowners front yards? If a resident were to let it go to weeds and not maintain a minimum standard of neatness, how would the owner be dealt with ? Is there a fine? How do you get someone to keep up the appearance of their property?

[Fourpar]

If a yard looks bad enough and the neighbors complaini enough, TV Deed Restriction Office can take action. They call the owners, send notices, etc. and if that doesn't work, they can have grass cut, etc. and bill the property owner.
We had this problem in our 'hood with one owner. That owner saw the light when TV explained the options....

[Bogie Shooter]

How does The Villages enforce the maintenance of the appearance and upkeep of homeowners front yards? If a resident were to let it go to weeds and not maintain a minimum standard of neatness, how would the owner be dealt with ? Is there a fine? How do you get someone to keep up the appearance of their property?
Where is your place in the Villages?

[Taj44]

I'm guessing there must be neighbor complaints for this process to be initiated. It doesn't appear TV does it on their own. I ride my bike throughout the various neighborhoods south of 466 and see any number of lawns/lots that are not too tidy looking right now - shrubs are way overgrown, grass is full of weeds or has been destroyed by cinch bugs, tons of weeds in the landscape mulch, etc. Its obvious the people are out of town and they apparently don't have good landscape services to maintain their property in their absence.

[skip0358]

One of the items that impressed my wife and I about TV was the neat well kept condition. We're closing in 2 weeks and it saddens me to hear these things. I've lived with neighbors who could care less what their house,yard cars etc. looked like. I hope there is something or some avenue that can be explored to stop this from continuing. TV is to nice a place to let it start to go down hill. Perhaps there should be a letter or notice that could be posted or delivered to the owner explaining their responsibilty and or consequences. hope I'm not over stepping my bounds as a newbee.

[villages07]

skip.... don't be disheartened. It's all relative. "Unkempt" in The Villages is probably OK anywhere else. Yes, some flowerbeds get overrun with grasses and weeds. If a home is being totally ignored, the community standards will issue a violation notice and eventually contract to have it fixed with the homeowner being responsible for the cost.

It seems that some of the landscape/mowing companies do less than stellar work when they know the homeowner is away for the season. I've seen some driveby visits to a neighbor's house ... the truck stops, looks, then leaves thinking that there's not enough work there to make the effort worthwhile.

So, Skip, reserve your concerns til you've been here awhile and had the chance to see for yourself.

But Taj is also correct..... quite often, the Community Standards office first gets involved via a resident inquiry. The Community Watch vehicles ride the roads, but, don't see everything.

[skip0358]

Thanks, who's a good landscaper besides do it yourself. I'm tired! Glad there is a follow up on problems, it's to beautiful of a community.

[Army Guy]

Skip, the wife and I are so with you! Right now out of 20 houses in our sub we live in only 5 take ANY care of their lawns, bushes. Of course none of those 5 are near ours, so wea re constantly getting up leaves, trash, doggie do, etc that since we aare downwind wind up in our yard. Honestly, we rake leaves YEAR ROUND, cause we are the only ones who get them up. Gee, I guess that is why we are the only ones that actually have grass growing! Also neighbor next door has two Great Pyranees (sp?) which actually almost as big as shetland ponies, and you know what else is big, and of course they keep both in the yard, so once again we are dwonwind, and every time we work in the yard or sit on the deck, the aroma....
Did I mention the guy across of us who is into muscle cars, and doesn't believe in mufflers?
TV is heaven for us, and honestly we have NEVER seen a yard yet in TV that even comes close to what we have in AL. It is one of the main reasons we bought at TV!

Army Guy

[Army Guy]

One funny note, when the wife and I are out raking the leaves etc, to keep our spirits up and think of our future at our villa in Bonita, we sing the TV jingle inserting different words to fit the chore we are doing like, " The Villages, where others leaves won't be found, The Villages, they will fine them all year round, The Villages!"

Army Guy

[Bettiboop]

One funny note, when the wife and I are out raking the leaves etc, to keep our spirits up and think of our future at our villa in Bonita, we sing the TV jingle inserting different words to fit the chore we are doing like, " The Villages, where others leaves won't be found, The Villages, they will fine them all year round, The Villages!"

Army Guy

:a20: AG, that's funny! That sounds like something I would do (as hubby stood by just grinning and shaking his head).

[Whalen]

One funny note, when the wife and I are out raking the leaves etc, to keep our spirits up and think of our future at our villa in Bonita, we sing the TV jingle inserting different words to fit the chore we are doing like, " The Villages, where others leaves won't be found, The Villages, they will fine them all year round, The Villages!"

Army Guy

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

This I gotta see!
When you get down here we should have a talent show or you can sing it at Karoake Night at Havana.

[Army Guy]

Folks, we really do! The wife and I use the jingle to put our minds in a more pleasent frame of mind. And we sing it out loud so others here it.

Ok, here is another chorus we do, "The Villages, where dog poop won't be found, The Villages, it's scooped up 'for it hits the ground, The Villages!"

Army Guy

[Bob S]

Army Guy, you had me worried at first. I read your post and thought that you had such terrible neighbors in Bonita. I was glad to see that they are back in Alabama.

We are also in Bonita on Glade Run. We will be down in September for a week and moving down in January. We hope to meet all our fellow Bonita residents soon.