Encroachment problems
 

I'm sure there have been a lot of encroachment issues between neighbors in The Villages---planting too close to the property line, curbing too close to the property line and trespassing onto the next door neighbors property to do regular yard maintenance. I'd like to hear about some of the issues and how they were handled.

My neighbor has a bush that has grown past our property line. I love that bush. So rather than tell them they need to cut it back, I prune it for them. With their permission. The entire bush, even the bulk of it which is on their side of the line. They have one less thing to do, I get a pretty bush as part of our landscaping. Problem solved.

We are in a Villa so we have easements to our neighbors land and actually maintain part of it and have an easement on the other side to maintain our house. It is all spelled out in our documents.

A lot depends on the type of home, Villa or on your own lot. I cannot comment on villas (way too confusing). As for encroachment on your own lot, simply call Community Standards about the problem. In general there is a 3 foot to 5 foot area between the houses that cannot be planted as this is kept clear for drainage. There are also areas to the front and back that cannot be planted highly dependent on the type of lot.
You can get a copy of your plat (plot) plan from the county building department. Ths will give you a lot of information on restricted areas.

I would suggest that you read your deed restrictions, especially if you live in a villa, and look for a paragraph entitled, "Easements of Encroachment". This paragraph allows "non-willful" encroachments of up to "1 foot" beyond the property line between houses. Some people incorrectly think that this provision applies to the side yard landscaping easement area adjacent to a neighbor's exterior wall. It doesn't. It applies to the common boundary lines between adjacent properties, not the easement area.

My neighbor had a huge and very attractive oak tree right on the property line, but more on their side than mines. It was my primary shade in the late afternoon when it gets very hot. She got it taken down with the excuse that it was dropping leaves all over MY lawn. It was no problem to me at all, but the lack of shade is a real problem.

If dropped leaves were a reason to cut down a tree, any tree could be eliminated.

Here is how a neighbor in our village is handling the problem. Picture taken today, in Florida's friendliest home town.

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