[jparsoneau@aol.com]

There’s always at least one winer usually more

[Hank’s mom]

I want to sell and move also because of this insanity with complaints about beautiful lawns that are not causing a problem. I am very soured on home ownership now!

[Papa_lecki]

Don’t think the ARC system is sustainable. The volume has to be too great for a volunteer run board Ike that.

Wonder how many of these “mistakes” are made?

[Sandy and Ed]

Originally Posted by mtdjed

I appreciate the feelings you have but think you should step back and cool down and think it through.

Setbacks are there for a reason and non compliance by others is not a license to do the same.

Like you, I wanted Palm Trees in my new yard 14 years ago. (I am from the north). The image was great at the time. That 12' frond umbrella didn't stop at 12'. Mine is now over 20' and some around here are larger yet. Palm trees are extremely messy and require maintenance, a lot of maintenance. Frond removal, seed pod removal, diamond cuts on removed fronds etc. Perhaps do it yourself for a while with loppers, handsaws, stepladder, extended saws, and then 24 foot extended saws, extension ladders, chainsaws, and did I mention a lot of Band-Aids. At some point as the tree grows older as you also will, you need to hire someone to maintain at $100 per tree perhaps twice a year or pay to have the monster removed along with the stump for $350 or so. I paid to get rid of two Palms that grew so large that they infringed with the roof. Some neighbors found that their Palms became a thruway for Palm Rats to gain easy access to their attics. And bees love the ripening seeds coming out of the seed pods .

I wish some "jerk" had ratted on me. Palm trees belong on beaches or byways for you to view. Enjoy the sight of your neighbors trees which can be seen from your house. After all, you really can't enjoy the sight of yours because they are blocking your windows. When you are outside looking at them, you are looking up and noticing the brown fronds that need to be trimmed. Put Sylvester in the back yard or somewhere you can view from afar. You will save a lot of money.

Buy the "jerk" a Mai Tai.

Amen. First thing we did when we moved in was to remove our queen palms. Love to admire them. Somebody else’s palms, that is.

[mskaggs]

Do you know who complained, or is it just the generic “jerk down the street”? My neighbor had someone complain about his beautiful landscaping, and I feel so icky not knowing who the rat is. Apparently it is someone that the community standards office knows well. I don’t think complainers, especially chronic complainers, should be able to hide behind anonymity.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Ozzello

I spent several years wintering here before I bought our home in TV. A major selling point for my wife and I, was the beautiful palms so many people had as part of the landscaping.

Even when purchasing our new home, the salesman assured me, that though I can't get that palm in my front yard, I could replace the ugly tree there with a palm after I closed, as so many other residents have . It seemed obvious the way it was done here.

Now, the AOC tells me I have to remove that palm I waited so long, and paid so much for.

Why? Because someone complained.

Special easement? No. But everyone , yes EVERYONE on my street has a palm in this same location?
Well, no one complained about them. "So , it isn't a problem big enough to do anything about, unless someone complains?" That is how complaint driven works.

This is where I started driving around, looking at how many homes were out of compliance. There are MORE OUT of compliance than IN!! Yep, I just got lucky and had this jerk down the street that doesn't have anything better to do, than police ME.. Why not the house RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME???

How far from the street do I need to move this tree? Not inside 15.5' ..... and if I put the lovely landscape wall around the tree at a healthy distance, the wall must be 16.5' from our little side street curb, moving the tree to 21'. the sylvester has a 12' frond spanning back 14' from the required setback and would now touch my house.

I guess the big screwing came from the sales team. Anyone want to buy a house.. with no palm tree, and a real jerk living a couple doors down with nothing better to do than stick his nose in your business?

Make a list of all the trees in your neighborhood with trees in similar positions or even closer to the street and get statements of support for an exception from them, then take the statements to an ARC appeal hearing. Or you could report everyone in your neighborhood with similar trees, and they can all show up to protest at the same time. However, it may be that the other trees are a couple feet farther back.

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by asianthree

So ARC approved the landscaping, in writing, then changed their mind? Was the approval for the same site as the palm was placed?

I thought once ARC approval and kept to the same plan, you were good to go. If they can then change their mind on a site approval, who would dare spend money to potentially have to remove at the whims of ARC

I have a feeling there is more to this story than what’s being written.

[airstreamingypsy]

What a nightmare. Places like The Villages, get volunteers who need a power trip on these boards. It's outrageous how they lower the boom on some, and not others, because some jerk needs a life. With all the activities in TV, you would think they could find something better to do than rat on their neighbors. I've been here for 8 years and have seen horror stories about wounded vets having to clip a foot off their driveway, because someone complained. Stories of 90 year olds, who have lived in their home for 30 years and a new neighbor complained about something that was done 35 years ago. Things that should have been grandfathered in. Little hitlers on power trips.

[joelfmi]

Thank about transparency at the village. I will not to buy there

[midiwiz]

Originally Posted by Ozzello

I spent several years wintering here before I bought our home in TV. A major selling point for my wife and I, was the beautiful palms so many people had as part of the landscaping.

Even when purchasing our new home, the salesman assured me, that though I can't get that palm in my front yard, I could replace the ugly tree there with a palm after I closed, as so many other residents have . It seemed obvious the way it was done here.

Now, the AOC tells me I have to remove that palm I waited so long, and paid so much for.

Why? Because someone complained.

Special easement? No. But everyone , yes EVERYONE on my street has a palm in this same location?
Well, no one complained about them. "So , it isn't a problem big enough to do anything about, unless someone complains?" That is how complaint driven works.

This is where I started driving around, looking at how many homes were out of compliance. There are MORE OUT of compliance than IN!! Yep, I just got lucky and had this jerk down the street that doesn't have anything better to do, than police ME.. Why not the house RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME???

How far from the street do I need to move this tree? Not inside 15.5' ..... and if I put the lovely landscape wall around the tree at a healthy distance, the wall must be 16.5' from our little side street curb, moving the tree to 21'. the sylvester has a 12' frond spanning back 14' from the required setback and would now touch my house.

I guess the big screwing came from the sales team. Anyone want to buy a house.. with no palm tree, and a real jerk living a couple doors down with nothing better to do than stick his nose in your business?

Arc form or not this is considered selective enforment which is illegal on a federal level. I'd point out selective enforcement. Also if it goes legal I'd do it in Marion or orange counties where they would lose hands down

[joelfmi]

There have been a lot of complaint on living at the village which are not recorded worse than what you stated,

[merrymini]

So many people think they are above the rules here that I have no doubt the inspector is sick of it, although, I have to admit, I do not see uniform application. If they went after everybody, the howling would be heard on the moon. I go for ARC approval before I do anything but when I did my landscaping, my district was still in the construction phase, so I saw a representative of the builder. I was well prepared and it went like a dream.

Originally Posted by ohioshooter

There’s at least one in every neighborhood.

There sure is!

[Marine1974]

Sounds like selective enforcement and maybe discrimination. Sorry to hear you are being singled out .
I would fight it . If yours has to be
moved or removed then all the palms out of compliance should be moved . And the AOC with the bad attitude should be reported for not enforcing other houses . Try the media.

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by joelfmi

There have been a lot of complaint on living at the village which are not recorded worse than what you stated,

Huh?