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.