HOA restrictions regarding landscaping
 

We recently purchased a designer home on an interior lot. We have about 15' of back yard before our property line. Can we landscape right up to the property line or are there set back rules we need to be aware of? If so, where can we find the rules? We live in Charlotte, if that makes any difference. Thanks for the help.

I was told by the ARC that I had to be 2 ft off my property line to install any plants, or bushes. ARC will advise you.

Villages Community Development District ...
 

has all the setback rules...fyi the setback behind most homes is 7.5 feet from the rear property line... nothing(you read correctly)is allowed...whoever quoted 2 feet hasn't checked...we just checked last week...my wife went and spoke person to person with the VCDD inspector...he said there are always a lot of unhappy people who have to things removed(plants, patios, additions)and at their own expense...pass any changes through the VCDD first...common sense applies

Double check with the actual powers that be. A set back usually refers to a fixed structure not plants. I was told the same two feet in Tamarind grove quote "Plants should be placed such that their growth will not extend into others property usually at least two feet." I was also admonished that a lot of power cables and sewer lines run along the back and to make sure I didn't hit them when digging.

Hopefully, whoever is going to do any planting along a rear property line will call dig safe before you stick a shovel in the ground. The power lines are buried there, and they are NOT in conduit. Also, keep in mind that if access is needed in the easement, the contractor can remove any plants or trees that are in their way, and they have no obligation to restore them.

The setback is for structure attached to the home. On your site plan it should be represented by a dotted line (Lake and Sumter, recent builds)
This pertains to additions, screen rooms, Pergolas attached to your home etc. The ARC is a little vague on the sitting walls and I have seen similar submittals both approved and denied. Paver patios, sitting walls and stack wall do not fall in this category.
I have also seen denied hardscape submittals built anyway, have complaints registered and the ARC say "it's their house, they can do what they want to".

According to the County and State rules, you can plant as you wish on your property. Any growth that goes over the property line is considered the neighbor's property and they can trim it (up to the property line) or enjoy it, as they wish. I have never heard first hand from the ARC any deviation from this, only 2nd and 3rd hand rumors.

Most of the homes in TV have drainage areas between and behind the homes. I always take these into account and typically keep 1 -2 feet of lawn in the back for drainage. Lately the ARC has caught on and I hear about landscape submittals being denied when landscape beds are shown all the way to the property line.

The ARC in the last 2 years also seems to deny concrete curb and stack wall too close to the property line. 1-3 feet depending on your area. Though I still see neighbors working together and curbing installed on beds that go around utility boxes, continuous through 2 and even 4 different lots.

In over 20 years, I have seen less than a handful of neighbors that were not glad the other neighbor planted between the houses, and many work together even sharing costs. 100s of times I have heard people in TV say.. "I was hoping my neighbor was going to plant something there first.."

In the end, the ARC responds to complaints, and I have heard of them 'forcing' people to do things, BUT, have yet to hear of any actual legal actions taken. There are people out there leaving contractor signs in their yard for over a year even though once a month the ARC shows up demanding they remove them, so I am still unsure as to how much actual 'force' is ever applied.

The ARC does not respond to complaints, deed compliance does.
The ARC would not "show up", if anyone would it would be deed compliance.
'Architectural Review ensures every home modification is constructed of appropriate materials and built to complement the natural and man-made surroundings. The Architectural Review process is purely administrative in nature."
VCDD Community Standards

Your title reads HOA restrictions.................
There are no HOA restrictions, there are deed restrictions. You can download yours here.
VCDD Deed Compliance - Lake County

Why would anyone ever want to read the "deed" restrictions?

Just to get correct info?

When all else fails- read the directions!!

Here's a link to the deed restrictions for Charlotte, a part of district 9:

http://www.districtgov.org/departmen...ict9_Rules.pdf

I believe the OP stated that they lived in the Village of Charlotte, which is Sumter County. Compliance may be different.

Deed restrictions may be different, but compliance is the same.

Thank you for all of the feedback and links. Looks like we have a lot to consider before we proceed.

Another question - can anyone recommend any native plants that are good for blocking view and are also hearty/low maintenance/flowering? Thanks

From this months Villages Magazine it says there are garden info that might help as follows:

March 17 Florida Friendly Landscaping for new Residents 9-11am Colony cottage rec.

March 26 Florida Friendly Landscape Series Landscape CSI 1-2 Villages Public Library at Belvedere.

March5 is a Master Gardener Plant Questions Forum 1-3 at Bradenton Rec

I thought I might go to some of these for general info. There were also some on grass but I am not interested in that and don't remember the times.

HOA restrictions regarding landscaping
 

There are more than one set of rules, you should know, there are 2 ARC committees. One ARC is in charge of regulations for the homes in The Villages, and the other is in charge for those home that are still under the developer. If you are under the developer and your retaining wall is too high or you have gone into the easement most of the time it's just forgiven, you see strict rules have not really been established. Also, just because ARC denies you for a landscape install, you may just need to reconfigure it. The 2 NEW rules for villas are: 1. If you have grass in your front yard, that area must remain grass. 2. No more stack walls are allowed in the front yard either. Sooooo who is really playing by these rules??