[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by aninjamom

i would suggest light colored rock at least, or a tree. Consider that rock will adsorb heat, and with the walls, your backyard is probably going to be a furnace in the summer. I'm not a fan of a grass patch myself, but that or ground cover is cooler.

exactly.

[asianthree]

Have you thought about moss, stays vibrant green, never has to be mowed, very little water. It does take awhile to grow in, check with local landscaping company to see what works here

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Have you thought about moss, stays vibrant green, never has to be mowed, very little water. It does take awhile to grow in, check with local landscaping company to see what works here

Is a combination of pebble walkways, river rock patches, and maybe a decorative boulder or two, decorative or green non-grass ground cover and small, well-placed shrubs/bushes allowed, as a replacement for all grass? I'm not asking about courtyard villas. I'm asking about the rest of TV. I really don't want to waste water, pesticides, herbacides, and various other expensive and planet-killing methods on grass that no one can set a blanket down on for a picnic, or play the 9th hole, or set up a volleyball net. If the only criteria I need to follow is that it look green and grassy, I'd feel better ripping the whole thing up and setting down astroturf. It'd serve the exact same function - which is to be green, and flat-ish.

I'm also not asking about an "all-rock" lawn.

[VillageIdiots]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Is a combination of pebble walkways, river rock patches, and maybe a decorative boulder or two, decorative or green non-grass ground cover and small, well-placed shrubs/bushes allowed, as a replacement for all grass? I'm not asking about courtyard villas. I'm asking about the rest of TV. I really don't want to waste water, pesticides, herbacides, and various other expensive and planet-killing methods on grass that no one can set a blanket down on for a picnic, or play the 9th hole, or set up a volleyball net. If the only criteria I need to follow is that it look green and grassy, I'd feel better ripping the whole thing up and setting down astroturf. It'd serve the exact same function - which is to be green, and flat-ish.

I'm also not asking about an "all-rock" lawn.

Sounds like your new neighbors are just going to love having you.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Is a combination of pebble walkways, river rock patches, and maybe a decorative boulder or two, decorative or green non-grass ground cover and small, well-placed shrubs/bushes allowed, as a replacement for all grass? I'm not asking about courtyard villas. I'm asking about the rest of TV. I really don't want to waste water, pesticides, herbacides, and various other expensive and planet-killing methods on grass that no one can set a blanket down on for a picnic, or play the 9th hole, or set up a volleyball net. If the only criteria I need to follow is that it look green and grassy, I'd feel better ripping the whole thing up and setting down astroturf. It'd serve the exact same function - which is to be green, and flat-ish.

I'm also not asking about an "all-rock" lawn.

I don't think so, but you yourself will have to ask the Architectural Review Committee. Don't worry about water, the retention ponds are catch basins for rain and are used to water our lawns south of 466. I hope that astro turf is not allowed. Think of all the oxygen a lawn converts from carbon dioxide. Well technically photosynthesis converts water to oxygen but grass is good for the earth. Plants Don’t Convert CO2 into O2 – How Plants Work

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

There are much better looking plants that convert even more from CO2 to oxygen, than grass, that are native to Florida, are naturally pest-resistant, easier and less expensive to maintain. And I wasn't asking if astro turf was allowed. I said I'd feel better about astro turf than I would with the red-ant-hiding, razor-blade-edged green stuff you all call grass down there. Doesn't mean I have any intention of actually doing that.

As for the sarcastic comment from VillageIdiot about my neighbors loving to have me move in and the popcorn emoji - if that's how people with differing opinions are treated in the Villages, then perhaps I should push for my husband to move us to the Carolinas instead. TV is the only place in Florida I'd be willing to move.

Just because I have certain opinions of what looks pretty and what doesn't, doesn't mean I plan on turning my yard into a wildscape. It'd be nice if I could, but I comply with regulations. That's why I ask these questions. To find out what the rules ARE. The attitude toward my opinions could use a step back though. It's not welcoming. At all.

[VillageIdiots]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

There are much better looking plants that convert even more from CO2 to oxygen, than grass, that are native to Florida, are naturally pest-resistant, easier and less expensive to maintain. And I wasn't asking if astro turf was allowed. I said I'd feel better about astro turf than I would with the red-ant-hiding, razor-blade-edged green stuff you all call grass down there. Doesn't mean I have any intention of actually doing that.

As for the sarcastic comment from VillageIdiot about my neighbors loving to have me move in and the popcorn emoji - if that's how people with differing opinions are treated in the Villages, then perhaps I should push for my husband to move us to the Carolinas instead. TV is the only place in Florida I'd be willing to move.

Just because I have certain opinions of what looks pretty and what doesn't, doesn't mean I plan on turning my yard into a wildscape. It'd be nice if I could, but I comply with regulations. That's why I ask these questions. To find out what the rules ARE. The attitude toward my opinions could use a step back though. It's not welcoming. At all.

Interesting as I moved here from the Carolinas. Anyway, it's called sarcasm (hence the popcorn emoji), much the same as your astro turf comment. Bottom line, from your posts here and in other threads, it doesn't sound like you are real fond of restrictive covenants. Fact is, they exist here and only the ARC can tell you, for sure, what is allowed and what is not. If you work with a sales rep, you can ask them the same questions. They will likely give you answers but keep in mind they are more opinions than definitive answers - the ARC is the final authority. There have been several situations where I asked different reps the same questions and got different answers. Same goes for here - you will get opinions but not necessarily the facts, depending on the subject matter. In my opinion, you would likely not be allowed to do all you asked about. Some things maybe in moderation, but you can ride around and see what is typically acceptable. I don't know if things are possibly different for Villas as opposed to standalone homes, but I think I remember reading somewhere that a certain percentage of your lawn must be grass. That said, I have seen Villas that are entirely hardscaped. So, either I'm wrong or Villas are an exception.

With respect to the restrictions, you can do what you want. As far as I know, there is no "deed restriction police" that ride around looking for violations. However, if someone/anyone complains about something you have done, and it is found that you did not get ARC approval to do it, and whatever you have done violates the restrictions, you will get a letter with a time limit to get your property back into compliance, or else. What the or else is, I'm not sure.

Sorry if you took offense. As anyone can tell by the traffic level here on TOTV today, it's a solid steady rain day here in TV and we are probably just all bored.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by VillageIdiots

Interesting as I moved here from the Carolinas. Anyway, it's called sarcasm (hence the popcorn emoji), much the same as your astro turf comment. Bottom line, from your posts here and in other threads, it doesn't sound like you are real fond of restrictive covenants. Fact is, they exist here and only the ARC can tell you, for sure, what is allowed and what is not. If you work with a sales rep, you can ask them the same questions. They will likely give you answers but keep in mind they are more opinions than definitive answers - the ARC is the final authority. There have been several situations where I asked different reps the same questions and got different answers. Same goes for here - you will get opinions but not necessarily the facts, depending on the subject matter. In my opinion, you would likely not be allowed to do all you asked about. Some things maybe in moderation, but you can ride around and see what is typically acceptable. I don't know if things are possibly different for Villas as opposed to standalone homes, but I think I remember reading somewhere that a certain percentage of your lawn must be grass. That said, I have seen Villas that are entirely hardscaped. So, either I'm wrong or Villas are an exception.

With respect to the restrictions, you can do what you want. As far as I know, there is no "deed restriction police" that ride around looking for violations. However, if someone/anyone complains about something you have done, and it is found that you did not get ARC approval to do it, and whatever you have done violates the restrictions, you will get a letter with a time limit to get your property back into compliance, or else. What the or else is, I'm not sure.

Sorry if you took offense. As anyone can tell by the traffic level here on TOTV today, it's a solid steady rain day here in TV and we are probably just all bored.

What is an ARC? Is that the same thing as the thing I downloaded from the villages.net page? That was only 14 pages, and dated back to 1998. I picked a random property in Sumter Village, and in Spanish Springs, to see if there were any significant differences. There weren't.

The closest thing to a 'restrictive covenant' I've ever personally experienced has been condo association bylaws. They weren't all that restrictive, because there wasn't all that much to restrict. You owned whatever was inside your own walls, and the rest was community property. If you dug up the front garden to personalize it, you were required to maintain it til you moved out. If you left it alone, the condo association maintained it however they saw fit. There were no property lines to worry about fencing or shrubbery, since they were 32 8-unit buildings spread out through an old horse farm.

The condo association took care of all the landscaping, plowing, pesticide, shoveling, sidewalks, termite control, signage, etc. etc. That's what we paid them for.

In TV, you're paying for all of that beyond your property line, and you're required to cover the cost of everything within your property line. But you're not allowed to do anything within your property line that doesn't violate actual law. You're only allowed to do those very limited things they say you're allowed to do - and in fact, you're REQUIRED to do them, at your own expense.

So if you don't like expansive lawns, you're either stuck with them whether you like it or not, or you're welcome to live elsewhere. And - if you choose to live there, you're required to bear the financial burden of maintaining that lawn that you really don't want in the first place, or risk the ire of neighbors and fines and leins against your property.

I get that people want something pretty to look at, and some measure of conformity. I like some measure of conformity as well. I like knowing that the homes and properties are in good condition, the shrubbery isn't left to grow wild, the edging along the sidewalk is neat and tidy. I also get the idea of no tacky pink flamingos and polka-dotted awnings over a toolshed in the middle of the front yard.

But I also like the idea that it's okay to have a touch of whimsy here, a dab of color there, something that makes your property not exactly like the one next to it. I want to be able to tell friends who visit, "it's the one with the mailbox that has a little rock garden at the base of it with a morning glory vine growing up the shaft." Or "the house with the pavers that zig-zag from the front step to the end of the driveway, with rosemary shrubs on either end." Something to distinguish it, that doesn't take away from the overall "look" of the neighborhood.

[B-flat]

We just purchased a CYV and some of the criteria was no grass since we are snowbirds. We have all rocks and shrubbery, it was much lower maintenance. We had the choice of a very nice home on a corner lot, but in our absence we did not want to have to be concerned with lawn cutting.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

What is an ARC? Is that the same thing as the thing I downloaded from the villages.net page? That was only 14 pages, and dated back to 1998. I picked a random property in Sumter Village, and in Spanish Springs, to see if there were any significant differences. There weren't.

The closest thing to a 'restrictive covenant' I've ever personally experienced has been condo association bylaws. They weren't all that restrictive, because there wasn't all that much to restrict. You owned whatever was inside your own walls, and the rest was community property. If you dug up the front garden to personalize it, you were required to maintain it til you moved out. If you left it alone, the condo association maintained it however they saw fit. There were no property lines to worry about fencing or shrubbery, since they were 32 8-unit buildings spread out through an old horse farm.

The condo association took care of all the landscaping, plowing, pesticide, shoveling, sidewalks, termite control, signage, etc. etc. That's what we paid them for.

In TV, you're paying for all of that beyond your property line, and you're required to cover the cost of everything within your property line. But you're not allowed to do anything within your property line that doesn't violate actual law. You're only allowed to do those very limited things they say you're allowed to do - and in fact, you're REQUIRED to do them, at your own expense.

So if you don't like expansive lawns, you're either stuck with them whether you like it or not, or you're welcome to live elsewhere. And - if you choose to live there, you're required to bear the financial burden of maintaining that lawn that you really don't want in the first place, or risk the ire of neighbors and fines and leins against your property.

I get that people want something pretty to look at, and some measure of conformity. I like some measure of conformity as well. I like knowing that the homes and properties are in good condition, the shrubbery isn't left to grow wild, the edging along the sidewalk is neat and tidy. I also get the idea of no tacky pink flamingos and polka-dotted awnings over a toolshed in the middle of the front yard.

But I also like the idea that it's okay to have a touch of whimsy here, a dab of color there, something that makes your property not exactly like the one next to it. I want to be able to tell friends who visit, "it's the one with the mailbox that has a little rock garden at the base of it with a morning glory vine growing up the shaft." Or "the house with the pavers that zig-zag from the front step to the end of the driveway, with rosemary shrubs on either end." Something to distinguish it, that doesn't take away from the overall "look" of the neighborhood.

ARC is the Architectural Review Committee. They are the ones that grant permission for any ornamentation that is not under the eaves of your home or any addition. Non compliance results in fines. There is much more leeway in allowing yard art in the historic section on the other side (northeast) of 441/27. The area north of 466 to the west(around Buena Vista) is stricter than the area north of 466 on the east (around Morse) South of 466 is full compliance and not a lot of room to interpret little paths etc. It sort of got stricter as it grew, The Villages. Personally I like deed restrictions because not every one can agree on what is beauty.

I think the whole place is absolutely beautiful and I hope you get all this resolved and enjoy living here too.

[drcar]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

ARC is the Architectural Review Committee. They are the ones that grant permission for any ornamentation that is not under the eaves of your home or any addition. Non compliance results in fines. There is much more leeway in allowing yard art in the historic section on the other side (northeast) of 441/27. The area north of 466 to the west(around Buena Vista) is stricter than the area north of 466 on the east (around Morse) South of 466 is full compliance and not a lot of room to interpret little paths etc. It sort of got stricter as it grew, The Villages. Personally I like deed restrictions because not every one can agree on what is beauty.

I think the whole place is absolutely beautiful and I hope you get all this resolved and enjoy living here too.

WELL SAID

[Marathon Man]

Well. We have lots of roundabouts and lots of deed restrictions. So I would think one should be OK with both or one might have difficulty being happy here..

[justjim]

At closing on a new home you get a copy of your deed restrictions. Unfortunately, many file them away with the closing documents without reading what the restrictions are for their particular district. Sometimes “things” get muddy when you buy a resale. You may or may not get the deed restrictions and the former owner may have made changes to the property without ARC approval thus causing you a future costly problem. There are such cases that have made it to this site and even to the Daily Sun. Bottom line - - do your due diligence when purchasing property and check with ARC prior to making significant changes to your property.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by justjim

At closing on a new home you get a copy of your deed restrictions. Unfortunately, many file them away with the closing documents without reading what the restrictions are for their particular district. Sometimes “things” get muddy when you buy a resale. You may or may not get the deed restrictions and the former owner may have made changes to the property without ARC approval thus causing you a future costly problem. There are such cases that have made it to this site and even to the Daily Sun. Bottom line - - do your due diligence when purchasing property and check with ARC prior to making significant changes to your property.

Due dilligence means read the deed restrictions BEFORE you decide to buy. So sure, I'll get my own copy of them at the closing. But I expect to have access to them to read them before I put in an offer. If I'm paying for restrictions, I have the legal right to know what those restrictions are before I sign the papers.

And again - I have no problem with the concept of restrictions. I don't know how many different ways, and different posts, I have to say that before it sinks in with some of you people.

[skip0358]

You can do whatever you want BUT if someone complains about what you've done to ARC they will investigate and IF you are not in compliance you will be given a deadline to come into compliance period. They are the final word so be sure to get approval from them. If you ride around you will see MANY people who are not in compliance BUT until someone complains nothing is done. Check with the ARC period.