Patio villa property lines
 

Are there survey pins marking property lines for patio villas in District 4? I reached out to the community standards department, but they have provided zero assistance. I'm trying to determine if I own all the land on my side yard, or whether my neighbor actually owns a portion of it. I know my neighbor has an easement to come into my side yard in order to maintain his house, but can my neighbor plant bushes or trees on that side of his house? I've read a variety of opinions on various threads, so I first reached out to community standards, but they won't answer that question.

This may be helpful.
Where can I obtain a site plan?
You should have received a copy with your closing documents. If you cannot locate your site plan, they are obtainable at your local building department.
o Fruitland Park Building Department, 506 W. Beckman Street, Fruitland Park, Fl., 352-360-6727
o Town of Lady Lake Building Department, 409 Fennell Boulevard, Lady Lake, Fl., 352-751-1511
o Lake County Building Department, 315 West Main Street, Tavares, Fl., 352-343- 9653
o Marion County Building Department, 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, Fl., 352-438-2400
o The Villages Sumter County Service Center, 7375 Powell Road, Wildwood, Fl., 352-689-4460 (The Villages Sumter County Service Center has site plans for Sumter County and City of Wildwood)

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https://districtgov.org/departments/.../CourtYard.pdf

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District 4
Board of Supervisors

Go to districtgov.org and download your deed restriction document for your lot. Also, you should have received a plat at the closing for your lot. Typically, the property lines for villas are located midway between the adjacent houses, and the deed restriction document describes the "sideyard" easements that apply to your house. Most likely, your neighbor owns about half of the property between the houses, but you are responsible for maintaining some of their property for landscaping. And, you do need to provide access to the neighbor to maintain their house, such as painting and pest control.

Whatever is within your fencing is yours to maintain although you neighbor will own 2 feet in your side yard.

For most villas, the houses are about 10 feet apart and property ownership is a 5 foot strip for each neighbor.

Thanks for the replies trying to assist me. I have read the deed restrictions that state I am responsible to maintain the side yard and that my neighbor has an easement to come into the side yard to maintain his house. It seems to be the consensus that I don't actually own all the land in the side yard, but that some of it belongs to my neighbor. That's the part I'm really trying to understand. If my neighbor owns some of that land, what prevents them from planting shrubs or placing anything else on that side of their house. I don't see anything in the deed restrictions that state they can't. Also, what gives me the right to plant hedges on his property right up against his house (I see that throughout my neighborhood).

I would suggest that you read the deed restrictions very carefully. I had to read mine about 7 times before I understood everything. Your neighbor cannot plant anything in the sideyard easement area. You have total control of that area to landscape. If they plant something there, you can just remove it. But, if you plant hedges in the easement area, they cannot touch your neighbor's house, or otherwise interfere with the neighbor's ability to maintain their house. Also, you cannot hang or attach anything to your neighbor's exterior house wall.

My understanding is it is split down the middle but maybe it is only 2 feet. The plantings are yours and the neighbor can only enter to maintain his house. Just as you can only go on the other side to maintain your house. It is your irrigation system watering the area so he cannot put anything there to be watered.

PATIO VILLA no fencing except the little white decorative one out front

Very Poor Job on Planning Villa Property Lines
 

Having purchased right of way agreements for the telephone company, it was hard for me to believe the Villages property line strategy.
I have a 3/2 courtyard villa and that strategy has always puzzled me. Basically I have to walk across my neighbors sidewalk to their backyard to get to my shrubs. So, I'm allowed to trespass in a way, correct? Seems like the Village strategy was clearly one of "getting as many villas as possible on x amount of square feet." From a business perspective, great idea. From a practical perspective, weird to say the least

We do not live in a villa but our neighbor hired a landscaper to redesign his landscaping.
The people placed concrete structure right up to the property line in violation of the rules.
I spoke to my neighbor. He spoke to the guy that did it and the contractor refused to move it
and was rather foul toward me. Line such as he is the expert etc etc etc.

I knew he was wrong. I called the Villages they came out, the person they sent was great.
My neighbor was told not to pay the contractor till it was moved and the contractor was told he had to move it. It seems this expert did not even file a required plan. All ended well. I was impressed with how the villages handled it.

All of these issues re: planting etc. It is far better and easier to ask before rather than needing to remove plants later.

It is not just here. Years ago through my business I met this German guy who married a duchess and they live in a castle on a huge property. He has a dispute with a neighbor about a tree that is on the property line. As I recall the story the tree is hundreds of years old. Something to the effect that if he can stall for another 20 years the tree is under German law grandfathered in.

It is not always possible but it is best to have a friendly relationship with neighbors. The exact same act may be a minor nuance or a major hassle depending on existing relationship.

In California my brother had a house that was exactly 6 ft from The neighbors so we have it relatively good here. His dining room window looked at the stone wall

I saw someone put a satellite dish there.

Property lines
 

I ran into the same issue when we bought our villa, here on the north side. Property surveys are not required, and unless previous property owners marked where the survey flags were placed during an actual survey. We ended up having a survey done and I got four timber spikes, about 12" long and large flat washers for each, and drove them in the ground at each survey flag that the surveyor left. This way, knowing approx where they are, I can find them, if needed.
Basically, in our Villas, the property lines run up the middle, between the houses. Technically, half our concrete patio is on our neighbor's property.
The front and rear property lines will vary, depending on easements and right of ways. In the rear, ours, much like the side lines, run down the middle, inbetween the houses.
2. I called TV for assistance in understanding who's responsible for what.
A. Rear property lines: you are responsible for maintaining up to the property line and around any utility. No obstruction may be planted around utility.
B: Front property lines: ours run approximately 10 ft in from the edge of the road. We are responsible to maintain grass/property up to the edge of the road. No plantings permitted in that right-a-way.
C: the screwiest for last: Side property lines: different neighbors on our street had different understandings of responsibility. TV quote: when you look out your patio door or lanai, you are responsible for maintaining, plantings, and care of all you see. Any bushes, plants or grass up to your neighbors house, are yours, even though it's physically on your neighbor's property. Your neighbor has property rights to come on that side for access and care to their house.
The kicker: I asked for what they told me in writing and was told that it is not in writing and they will not issue anything in writing.
In short: (my interpretation) they want to be able to change things, when necessary and do not want legal responsibility for disputes.
On that note, I took out 6 bushes along our neighbor's house. They were overgrown and had black snakes in them and neighbor's have stated they saw rats in them before.

I don't understand either, I was told that your lot line is 5 ft from your garage side wall without windows. But, you can use it however you want, and your lot is used by your neighbor however you want. Makes no sense at all! If you learn differently please let me know!

Mine said 5 ft. That puts half my yard and patio on my neighbors property.

If you think Patio Villa boundaries are weird you should look how the
Court Yard Villas are marked off. I have a corner lot(thank goodness) and on one side my pin is marked in the middle of my next door neighbors driveway.
:shocked::shocked::shocked:

Summary for Understanding
 

This question has been on my mind as we look to buy a CYV. What i understand from this and another similar thread:

1. Read your documentation carefully as there can be variations from one neighborhood to another but the doc is the definitive answer.

2. Do not confuse what you own with what you are responsible to maintain.

3. In general the property line on CYVs runs 1/2 way between houses.

4. Even though you may own property on both sides of your house, you can only landscape on the one side that is inside your fence. You can landscape the entire side following ARC / TV rules ( eg no shrubs touching your neighbors house, no hanging trellis, lights or anything else on your neighbors house etc.)

5. On the side that is inside your fence your neighbor is only responsible to maintain their house itself such as painting, power washing etc. They cannot landscape.

Bottom line: when it comes to landscaping the side yard on a CYV it really doesn’t matter where the survey lines are - just the fence (unless the fence itself is in the wrong location).

Did I get this right?

Most /some three bedroom two car garages layout is different. Some share half the space between houses and some don’t. Evidently you have one you share the space on you’re side of sidewalk?

Access the way I interpret it means you can’t dictate how he parks his car in his driveway as long as you can walk around to get through the gate. On rare occasions you have to large object to get through the gate should be willing to move his vehicle out of the way. I see lot golf carts parked in front of front gates which not parking legal spot even if it’s been block in with pavers. End units different layout also. All covered in restrictions if you can figure it out?

At least CYV have walls where patio villa’s IMO worse.

Pretty much. There is one foot easement up against neighbors house for drainage the one foot area off the house that graveled, basically the area under his eve’s nothing should be within 1 foot of that wall way I interpret it?

I have read several CYV deed restriction documents, but I have not seen one that refers to a 1 foot "drainage" easement from the neighbor's exterior wall. It only says that you cannot have something on or against the exterior wall. There is a reference to a 1 foot construction "encroachment" that is allowed at the property line, whereby you can encroach up to 1 foot over the property line. But, the property line is not located anywhere near the neighbor's exterior wall. In most cases, the property line is at least 5 feet away from both houses.

Deed restrictions are PART of the answer. Get a copy of your site plan from the county/city you live in. The County Clerk or Property Appraiser should be able to help you understand the situation. IMO don’t rely on the ideas you read here. They are NOT all accurate!

There are patio villas with white fencing in the rear also. One such area is in Marsh Bend.

Can always go out your slider to get to them.

In my district under Marion county, article IV, property rights, section 3, easement of encroachments.

Re: "Timber spikes."
Metal or cement are traditionally used. In ground contact even pressure treated does not last long.

With so many of these threads, there is right, there is wrong, there is legal, there is enforced. Legal without enforcement, means nothing. We, including me think laws should be enforced on others but object when enforced on us. Sadly, it has always been this way. One step further, figuring out what the law is, clearly compounds the issue.

Agree, that why I remove doubt. I removed anything within one foot of my neighbor property. Nothing come close to touching his house or property line. Luckily I only have neighbor on one side. Also had large palm that was over grown and showing signs of rot. I didn’t want the responsibility of extremely low change it could blow over on my neighbors garage position of his house, so I removed it. Now there no change of damaging his property and I sleep better :)

I just bought a patio villa. They can not plant anything close to my house or put lawn art there. The original information given by the villages explains the situation. The house next to you has the right to inspect, clean, and walk on the side of the house as needed. There can not be any obstructions to be able to walk on the side near the house. I would think walking on the side of the house too often verges on being a peeping Tom though.