Abandoned CYV
 

There is a courtyard villa has been unlived in (abandoned) since mid-summer 2011. The grass in the front yard is high but, being Winter, is somewhat dormant and not too unsightly. The grass in the back yard, however, is more than a foot and a half tall and extremely thick. A lawn service stopped about a month ago but left without doing anything.

On the lanai is a dead possum. There is a doggie door from the outside into the lanai and another doggie door from the lanai into the house.

According to a notice on the front door, the house has been winterized to prevent drying out of traps in drains, etc. Otherwise, nothing has been done to the home since before last summer.

Calls from neighbors have been made to The Villages Watch and Community Standards offices with no results. The response is that the interior of the home is not their concern and the exterior appears ok from the front.

The problem is what might be living inside the house due to the doggie door(s) access. If a dead possum in on the inside of the lanai, what more is going on, and what is living in the tall grass (weeds) in the backyard...a rodent infestation???

One of the previous owners is deceased and the other is in a nursing home as far as the neighbors know.

If anyone has a suggestion as to whom to call about this problem, the neighbors would greatly appreciate it. Also, any ideas as to how to locate the actual owners of the house as it is most likely not the previous residents would be appreciated.

Contacting Sumter County would be at least a place to start. This link will give you a bit of info about submitting a Code Complaint - also has a phone number you can call for more info.

Sumter County, FL - Official Website - Submit a Code Complaint

Bill :)

The villa does seem as though someone is taking care of it since there is a notice it has been winterized. In order to see a possum on the lanai and the number of doggie doors, you must have gone onto private property to see that as well as the length of grass in the back yard. That could be called trespassing.

Why not call the Deeds and Covenants Department of The Villages to see what they can do? Probably will not do anything since the front exterior, according to you, looks okay.

By the way, a possum in not a rodent.

How about calling county animal control?

Ugh, we are putting in the same set up for dog doors. I hope no possums come in. We did have racoons come in one night, two of them at 3 am. It was quite a night. I hope possums fear dogs

Winterizing signs are often signs of a foreclosure by the government. It's their standard procedure. There would also be a notice on the front window or door as to who to contact.

why not go to 'sumterpa' and get the info

The way I read it, he feared rodents in the tall grass, not more possums. But thanks for the lesson anyway.

I can easily see into neighbors CYV backyards and lanai's without trespassing.

Where?
 

You posted a note regarding a possible abandoned court yard villa. Perhaps an address of same would help top locate possible owners?

Jerry Jackson

No one should have double doggy doors. That little rascal, FUMAR, a menacing marsupial may gain access to all the dog & other critter's waste and deposit it in the street tucked neatly in sealed bags.

Actually buggy, in CYV neighborhoods, the neighbor to the right’s property line extends several feet inside of the neighbor to the left’s side yard (which is inside of the fence line). The outside of one neighbor’s house makes up part of the “fence” enclosure for another neighbor’s yard. It’s part of the deed restrictions that you allow reasonable entry and access through your gate and onto that property. This is usually for the purpose of inspecting, power washing and painting the side of their house...but inspecting the condition of the vegetation growing next to their home and checking for critters would not be unreasonable either, especially in a yard that has been unattended for a long time.

Tall ladder? Trampoline? :D

I use the periscope on the submarine I keep in my yard.

They don't. They used to taunt our 120 lb. rhodesian ridgeback in california.

Maybe 6' 10"??

Where's Wilt?

in the ground

Hey! THERE'S an idea. "Wilt the Stilt"............use stilts!!! :D

Bill :)

How 'bout some built-in entertainment. A pyramid of cheerleaders.

There you go making jokes! There is a dead body in that CYV and there you go making jokes! No wait! Worse! A dead dog! Someone call Fumar! He will sniff it out! :police:

Wilt is where?

Why not call the Sheriff and state your concerns?

Here's an idea. Donate the possum to the West Virginia picnic that was mentioned on the General Discussion page. They probably would be greatful for some home style vittles.

(That was only a joke. No hate mail from West Virginians, please)

We could use that meat in Western Virginia. Always ready for some serious chow.

Is there anyway the neighbors could chip in and have the grass cut and have someone take away the dead critter? CYV's yards aren't very big. That is what we would do in Ohio. Maybe doing it without permission, since no one is watching. Kind of a form of caring for a neighbor.

Don't pick on West Virginia. Our oncologist calls it "The Motherland" and Helene and I call that doctor, Saint Randy.;)

West Virginia is a lot of people's loved home.

Maybe he's just playing possum?

I think maybe call the health department.

When my next door neighbor's grass got to be knee high, The Villages sent them a registered letter and as soon as it was received the grass was mowed. You might just have to wait until the grass in the front starts growing, which won't be long now.

I live in a gated community near Jacksonville, and when someone's lawn starts to get too long, the Board sends a warning letter. If the lawn is not cut, the Board sends a professional firm to cut it, and sends the bill to the honmeowner. That gets everyone what they need.

"I live in a gated community near Jacksonville, and when someone's lawn starts to get too long, the Board sends a warning letter. If the lawn is not cut, the Board sends a professional firm to cut it, and sends the bill to the honmeowner
That gets everyone what they need.

Quote Quirky3"


I was under the impression that is what is done here. The possible fact that the bank now owns it may put the ownership of the home in a different catagory, or they only cut what can be seen on the street?

If the above is the case, as stated in the initial post, then it is not likely that the lawn is going to get cut any time soon.

If "the bank" owns it, as Gracie indicated, then that's probably another ballgame.

I would think this would be a common occurance (not widespread) in a retirement community as big as TV. Some agency or department would have experience in dealing with the situation.

Yeah we had an similar issue with the neighbors and rental here in NC. We ended up with the other neighbor "shaving" the yard to insure it stayed kept and keep animals (snakes and rodents away from our properties). When I say shaving we literally scalped the yard. Better look than foot high growth. You guys may have to cut it just to keep your values up. Shouldn't have too and its kinda disappointing to hear since we were told how wonderfull a response problem issues got down there....hmm...now I'm wondering. Call animal control on the possum....

If you can find out the name of the nursing home the owner is in, you might be able to contact them to see if there is a guardian or conservator. Contact them to explain the problems. Sooner or later they will be selling that property and will want to keep the value up. In the meantime, I think the neighbors could get together and help out this poor family. It sounds pretty obvious that no one has any real clue what is happening.

Redwitch has offered the best solution for the situation. She is a prime example of why this is Florida's Friendliest Hometown.

:agree::agree::agree:

Don't jump to conclusions based on information posted on this thread. Go back and read the op. Deed restrictions have been contacted and the front was acceptable, maybe they did not check the back. Deed restrictions/community standards has no authority on the interior of a house.
Community standards should be contacted again regarding the rear. As suggested by another poster the appropriate Sumter county department should now be called in.
I agree with other posters for the neighbors to go in and clean it up.

...with the owner's permission of course.