Why doesn't ARC have checks and balances?
 

Why doesn't ARC have checks and balances?
People go to ARC for landscaping improvements and they draw the landscaping correctly on the application. They are then awarded a permit Usually with stipulations to stay out of Easements. The permit is done by the Homeowner and not the Landscaping company and the Landscaping company is not regulated under DBPR so they run wild through the Villages.
Then At times more then not, the homeowner directs the Landscaper to put in landscaping either in the easement or right up to the lot line.
Then if the adjoining homeowner is not happy with that he has to put in a complaint, which puts neighbors at opposition with each other and causes bad blood between neighbors. If ARC had someone to enforce the Permits so they are done correctly we would not have bad blood between neighbors. HMMMMM this should be changed.
When Landscaping is put to the lot line then it forces contractors to enter on the adjoining property to maintain there landscaping, fertilizing etc... With this Zoyia Grass it makes it then impossible to keep a nice lawn with the added traffic.

With the villages being well over 50 square miles and god knows how many homes, I doubt the ARC review committees would have sufficient manpower to do the inspections. IMHO, this is the homeowners responsibility. When we had our birdcage added, I had the property line staked, then I went out with a ruler and marking paint to show the build limits. Good that I did, the contractor was 1 foot OVER the build line. I caught the mistake and told them to move the forms for the concrete. I then checked all the right of way limits and these were all OK.

Why does the homeowner who just went to the trouble to secure ARC approval then go ahead and violate the very permission they sought and were granted? Were they lying from the outset of the process?

OP, how much are you willing to pay to hire a staff to do this?

a little common sense goes a long way...as does taking ownership for your project

get the ARC approval and hold your contractor accountable...have the contractor actually verify to you that their design is compliant with the ARC approval that you received

This is exactly the right advice. It's your home and your responsibility. Do NOT depend on the ARC, that's a fools choice. The ARC approval and enforcement is a mismanaged mess and probably not changing anytime soon. I've dealt with them and walked away shaking my head.

You folks are missing the point. If your neighbor puts in landscaping that is not according with the permit approval or tries to circumvent the process and encroaches in the easement or property line, the adjacent neighbor is forced to contact community standards and Community standards now needs to enforce the infraction.
This puts neighbors in opposition with each other and now you have a bad neighbor situation.
If there was a ARC inspection and it was not done to the Arc approval now the community standards becomes the bad person and not a neighbor dispute.
What don't you folks understand about his logic.
This process is mismanaged and it is a common practice to get a ARC approval by drawing it properly in a Plot map of the property and then the homeowner does what they want and there is NO inspection to verify it was done Correctly. DO i need to explain MORE!!!
There are neighbor disputes all over the villages due to the ARC process,it is complaint Driven.
Please someone step in and explain it better than i can to these Folks

If the neighbor does the landscaping knowing that they are not within code, what kind of neighbor is that? Not one that I really care if I hurt their feeling by reporting them.

Well said.

It has always been the property owners responsibility to obtain approval from the ARC for most exterior work. Unfortunately many will try to delegate that responsibility to the contractor doing the work and while many of the companies will provide the necessary paperwork and even attend the ARC meetings to obtain approval it is the property owners signature that is required on the application as the responsible party. The deed restrictions are a legal document between the developer and the property owner and cannot be transferred to the contractor unless you have an legal agreement that binds the contractor to the same rules and regulations which I doubt most people will waste time in trying to obtain. In fact, I would estimate that the majority of landscape work is done without any type of contract other than a quote stating how much is due upon completion. Property owners need to be more involved in the process and understand not only their obligations but their rights as well. Just because you had work done and did not want to take the time to understand the legalities or check the work this does not give you the right to pass this responsibility on to someone else when things go wrong. Sorry if your neighbor is upset with you and you feel embarrassed. Get over it. Do your due diligence ahead of time and be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. Why should the ARC or Community Standards be your own personal construction manager?

Just food for thought some people purchase homes that had improper landscaping done by prior owners and inherits the problem with out proper disclosure from the prior owner either. To bad a lot of that goes on as well. Just a FYI
Goes to the saying; Buyer beware and folks read your deed restrictions and look at your plot plans, its all on the Sumter county building website as public record. If you do your due Diligence at the beginning you may save alot of money and headaches, JMHO

No need to be insulting. We understand the system and we understand what you are saying. We are simply not joining you in your call for change.

How many times has someone said, "If the neighbors are ok with it, leave it alone". So, Community Standards waits for a complaint before taking action. Makes sense to me.

well what about if the neighbors aren't ok with it, then it puts neighbors in opposition with each other when the rules aren't followed!

It doesn't always work as you described. In my own case, I told a landscaper what I was interested in. They drew up a landscaping plan and after I approved it they took it to the ARC for the permit. Their plan respected the required setbacks so there was no issue with the permit. They then implemented the plan that was approved by the ARC.

Totally agree. My husband does the same thing even when neighbors have work done. The landscapers just eye it.