I don't believe there is anything gray about a white cross being a yard ornament and if someone was to pursue it legally I doubt they would prevail. I suspect they would have a difficult time finding legal council to take such a case. The deed restrictions are quite specific and probably written by lawyers. I guess they could be called a seasonal display but you can only keep those up for 30 days. At the end of the day, if you get cited you can either take down the white cross or be fined - that is pretty much black and white.

again i don't agree but i do concede it would be a difficult battle and quite costly. Freedom of speech and religious beliefs are a very sharp razor, again goes to deep pockets!

Could you send more information?

When you get pulled over for speeding and the officer is writing you up, there are very likely other vehicles going by that are speeding. The officer is too busy to clock them.

Would you cry "selective enforcement" to the judge? If so, good luck.

Yours is just another example of blame-shifting.

A huge amount of people reading this Forum treasure the symbol of the cross, including me. This isn't an attack on the cross or on religious freedom. This is about deed restrictions. The little wooden crosses are allowed under the eaves of any home in The Villages. So are all other symbols of religious faith. That doesn't mean that the people who wrote the deed restrictions don't also treasure the symbol(s).

It made me so happy to gift my friend with a lovely Star of David necklace and she wore it until she died. I wear a cross myself. You will see many people with the Mezuzah on their front door showing their home was blessed. Crosses are allowed there too if someone wished to put one there.

Deed restrictions and the anonymous reporting of deed restrictions do not mean people are against religion. I so wish you understood that.

Sadly there are people here and elsewhere that are so vindictive and spiteful that they find comfort in upsetting others.

Rules
 

you know the rules, live with them...

That is true.

However, that is not the reason for deed restrictions or the enforcement of them, but does relate to keeping people who report restrictions anonymous.

There is also a couple on a golf cart with a clip board driving through the area. Saw a Volkswagen convertible bug staking out the villas in Kingfisher.

A neighbor of mine mentioned to me last week that he saw someone take a picture of our front lawn. We have 2 crosses under our front eaves, which is where they are to be. So what's the problem. Some people need to get a life!

OMG apples and oranges

Under the eves is still controlled by the deed restrictions. Only on your porch are you allowed ornaments. That came from Community Standards directly to my ears about a month ago.

Another common story is that the deed restrictions do not apply to the back yard. They do.

That is also a gray area it is to be under the foot print of the home.
The eves are under the foot print of the home.
Only one persons (attorney) interpretation of the law

I cannot understand why people cannot put the crosses in their back yards, dozens of them if they so wish, or is the front yard placing of the things just to show how more 'Christian' they are to neighbors who pass by?
My personal belief is there is nothing after death but compost, but I don't stick a compost bin in the front garden to advertise the fact!

Not true ("if there is no violation, there is no letter or fine"). I have friends who were turned in for a completely fabricated violation. Rather than have someone physically check it out or call and ask about it, they were immediately sent a "cease and desist" letter! When they tried to talk to someone about it, they were told it would be a week or more before they could even tell an appropriate person that what they were accused of was completely imaginary! In other words, they were essentially told "Quit doing what someone said you are doing and we'll listen to your side of the story later." It's a crazy system and not always upfront.

Witch Hunt?
 

Are we discussing a witch hunt? Burning at the cross? Or are we going to bury her like the Pilgrims did - and put rocks on her chest until she admits to being a witch?

What's wrong with this discussion?

Hmmm .... how about the standards committee is allowed to just simply dissipate the conversation?

My goodness people.... should we pause and think?

Too much idle time and an evil attitude
 

Too many people here have too much time on their hands and enjoy irritating others.

Can anyone say shutting down the Life Learning Center??

they don't want to work with others to resolve issues and concerns they just want to cause trouble

If you are in compliance, you have nothing to worry about

Not exactly the same thing but a good point. The reason the enforcement system is complaint driven is to avoid selective enforcement. I know it seems counterintuitive but if they diligently check out every complaint and enforce and violations found, they are not guilty of selective enforcement. The treatment of the complaints is the determining factor. I have no doubt they had very good lawyers advising them on this.

I agree with Graciegirl, sounds like BS

Vote of Thanks
 

We all owe her a vote of thanks for working to maintain the standards of the Villages and being consistent in her observations. Regarding the "Cross's". That is just another form of advertising..e.g. I am a Christian. In reality I am a Christian but I am also against trying to pull people apart but rather we are one community. It's called "UNITY".:ohdear:

I find those that complain about what others are doing when it has no effect on them or anyone else around them, to be pathetic. Rules are NOT laws and are flexible. There should always be exceptions to rules in a FREE country. There is absolutely NO way you can travel about the Villages without seeing many deed restriction violations. I have several neighbors that have ugly properties, in MY opinion but I appreciate their difference instead of taking exception to them. If one wishes a TOTALLY uniform community, then they should live on a military base. I wonder just how truthful some of you are being with us or to yourselves regarding these so-called rules. I am sure that NO one on here has violated the speed laws on the highway by speeding up to ten mph over the speed limit to pass someone going the speed limit. Of course, I am sure there will be those that will deny this and have NEVER, EVER violated a traffic LAW. I am within 30 years or less of leaving this great world and think it is silly for someone to worry about what someone else's property looks like. Those that do not like something that someone else is doing, seem to feel that it is their obligation to report any infraction of rules and if not a rule to make sure to out that person for being different. You do not have to be a Christian to be Christian-like. I bet there are some on here that are offended when someone eats their fries with their fingers instead of a fork. I bet there are some women that do not like the length of another's skirt or the shade of ones lipstick or fingernail polish.
Rules seem to be rules until you do not agree with them. Funny how some on here insist that if you allow anyone to get away with the simplest violation, then it will encourage millions of other violations. Has anyone ever thought about how we could do away with judges for administering penalties for lawlessness, if we just went strictly by legal statute? If the penalty for shoplifting is 180 days in jail then EVERY child the steals a candybar would get six months in jail, etc. Are we accomplices if we do not report our neighbor's violations? Will we have chaos if we allow our neighbor to have a gnome in their flower garden? Sorry, but it is hard for me to imagine some folks worrying about a lawn ornament violation and then admit that they totally accept the influx of illegal aliens crossing our borders, and feel sorry for them to boot.
Reading some of these comments, one must wonder how a senior with shaking hands is perceived when they might drop their food trying to get it in their mouths, or when they eat without closing their mouths. I bet some are very disturbed when they see someone exiting the ladies room with their dress tucked into the rear of their panties.
I pity the trouble makers, not encourage them. Yes, we have rules for a reason. But, there are many rules that I do not always agree with or can be flexible with when dealing with my neighbors. What sold me on The Villages was not the beauty of the homes, but the beauty of the people I first met here. It has been a while since I have run into the outwardly friendly folks that I met all over this place when I first moved here. Maybe they do not frequent this community blog?

Restrictions exist for a reason. To keep all the crap out of yards! Go up to the north side of the villages and look at some of the yards and ask yourself if you really want your neighbors yards to look like this. If she has reported legitimate violations then more power to her. Peoples yards can really become extremely unsightly if not policed.

This would have made for a great episode on Seinfeld for Jerry's parents and the Costanzas.

Byte1 -
"Rules are NOT laws and are flexible." - Since when and by whose authority?
"Rules seem to be rules until you do not agree with them." - Or someone claims them to be 'flexible'?
"Yes, we have rules for a reason. But, there are many rules that I do not always agree with or can be flexible with when dealing with my neighbors. " - Because you can be flexible with them means that the Authority that established the rules must be flexible with the rules they set? Why would the Authority not declare up front that their rules are flexible or that their rules are only guidelines?

And in this case - no one is dealing with a rule or a guideline! The issue is one of deed restrictions - isn't a deed a legal document?
"Deed restrictions are private agreements that restrict the use of the real estate in some way, and are listed in the deed. The seller may add a restriction to the title of the property. Often, developers restrict the parcels of property in a development to maintain a certain amount of uniformity. A deed restriction is a clause in a deed that limits the use of land. However, restrictions that are against public policy are unenforceable, such as those that prohibit people of certain ethnic groups from using a property. Deed restrictions placed within a deed control the use of the property. The restrictions travel with the deed, and cannot generally be removed by new owners."
Deed Restrictions Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc.

Not dealing with a rule!

Too bad, if this is true, it defies the "America's friendliest hometown" slogan. I should think the person who complained about others' yards would try to keep their own side of the street clean...their own yard, their own shrubs, their own home--and perhaps devote their efforts to improving the gardening in their own environs and neighborhood. That would present so much for them to do each day, that they wouldn't have time to complain about others! What a shame!

I did as you suggested and went up to the "north side of the villages." They must have changed their ways since you were there, or maybe some are just more easily offended by what others do with their OWN property. I assume that "extremely unsightly" is in the eyes of the beholder. Perhaps, I just have enough flaws of my own, that I don't notice others blemishes. Like I said above, those "friendly" folks of the Villages, must not frequent this forum. Or maybe I just have too many of my own faults that I do not notice those minute faults of others. Guess I am not the one to be the first to cast the first stone. Or maybe I just do not concern myself with my neighbors' business when they are not harming others. I am sure that some may find these minor infractions to be a major concern and worthy of the maximum enforcement, but I find it refreshing when I can see interesting imagination of someone's artistic endeavors. I apologize (actually I don't) for not conforming to the PC climate of this discussion. Just stating my opinion.
I pity those that ride around reporting infractions of the rules. I sincerely hope that something good happens in their lives to make them less miserable.

As far as I know, I am in full compliance with all deed restrictions. If I am not, I want to know about it and I will fix it. In fact, if a neighbor doesn't like something I am doing, I will probably fix it anyway, even if it is in compliance. I may need a ride someday.

I always enjoy these conversations.

Many say everyone signed to agree to the restrictions but that is not true. After give our non refundable deposit they were just handed to us and that was that.

The deed restrictions are very vague and left to interpretation.

Every district has different restrictions, one of ours is no satellite dishes but many have them.

Mine does say no “lawn” ornaments. My front yard is 100% “yard” but only 50% “lawn” or grass which is another word for lawn. This tells me I have no restrictions among the bushes and mulch.

I agree that those turning people in have an axe to grind against someone and will keep doing it until everyone is handled.

It would be funny to flock them with pink flamingos but I feel it could be dangerous if this person was found out.

If you have a deed restriction that says no satellite dishes, then you can pretty much ignore it. There is a Federal law that prohibits that type of deed restriction.

That's nice of you. I admit that I am not always on the straight and narrow, therefore I do not require others to be perfect in order to make my day. I do not go out of my way to make others uncomfortable, but I am not PC either...just to make others happy. If you cannot be flexible on ridiculous little superficial rules, then it seems disingenuous to be flexible on statutory laws, such as immigration violations. Just my opinion.

Like I said, I pity those that require ALL their happiness dependent on others conforming to their standards. Some folks believe in extremes, not understanding the term "moderation." Americans are supposed to be TOLERANT, but it is obvious by some comments that tolerant is not in their accepted terms. I presume that some on here would suggest that I am accessory to these rule violations if I do not rat on my neighbors' breaking of the rules.

At any rate, my intent was not to encourage breaking of the rules but to be tolerant when dealing with your neighbors. There's an old saying that goes something like "what goes around, comes around." It seems to me that some are demanding that others be INTOLERANT when they do not condone someone else's actions. Where have I heard that before?

Many say everyone signed to agree to the restrictions but that is not true. After give our non refundable deposit they were just handed to us and that was that.

>>Actually you did agree to the deed restrictions when you bought your house. The deed restrictions flow with the house. This is a settled legal issue.

The deed restrictions are very vague and left to interpretation.

>>Actually they are very specific and I don't see where any interpretation is required. Can you cite an example?

Every district has different restrictions, one of ours is no satellite dishes but many have them.

>>Satellite dishes are in the deed restrictions but this is one area where Federal Law overrules. You can put up a satellite dish. The deed restrictions for most of the "southern" Villages are the same. When it doubt, refer to districtgov.org.

Mine does say no “lawn” ornaments. My front yard is 100% “yard” but only 50% “lawn” or grass which is another word for lawn. This tells me I have no restrictions among the bushes and mulch.

>>You can try to make that case but if you are cited for a violation and fail to comply you will be fined. You can certainly try to fight it in court but you will lose. I have seen this before.

I agree that those turning people in have an axe to grind against someone and will keep doing it until everyone is handled.

>>Someone may have an ax to grind but if you are compliant there is nothing to file a complaint against and if a complaint is filed where no infraction exists it will be for naught.

It would be funny to flock them with pink flamingos but I feel it could be dangerous if this person was found out.

>>I prefer to spend my time playing golf.

Bravo!

Fifty violators! Maybe your Village needs to be cleaned up.

Got her quota, too bad LEOs don’t have quota on speeders, illegal roundabout maneuvers, running stops signs, and not using blinker lights.

I can find 10 violations down any street, in CYV’s can find multiple violations especially the snow bird residents, weeds 3 foot tall, dirty moldy perimeter walls, weeds in driveway section lines. Bush’s and vines out of control encroach neighbors driveways or easements. Vines/ bushes up against neighbors house ect.....

Looks like the lady is systematically going to every village in her district. Probably will expand when she runs out of villages in her district. Creepy habits are nearly impossible to break without therapy :1rotfl:

Well, one could certainly say that those who refuse to follow the deed restrictions are the unfriendly ones. They are forcing their wants on others rather than keeping their properties in compliance, as their neighbors do.

Why is it so hard for a lot of people to realize that the rules we agreed to are for everybody..nobody is exempt.

Not really. Not all of The Villages has the same rules. I consider the deed restrictions to be a rule of thumb, to keep the community looking nice, NOT a cookie cutter copy of the next. I am glad that I live North of Rt466 and do not have the same egg heads making the loud noises.. I doubt I can find a home in all of the Villages that is in total compliance, and I don't care. It all looks fine to me and I don't let small things bug me. If you wish to spend up all your bonus years complaining about what everyone else is doing that makes them happy, then you do not deserve those extra years. Go back to work where you can feel good about yourself when you are bossing the little guys around. Personally, I plan to be a good neighbor and do as much for my neighbors that I can before cashing in. Sorry, but I have no respect for those that complain about other folks personal property. I have yet to see any homes here with rusted out trucks or cars up on blocks in their yards. I have looked all over the Villages and have not found one home that I would complain about. I may not choose the same colors, plants, yard ornaments or cars, but I enjoy interesting quirks and imaginative personalization.
It will take a lot before I will ever make a complaint, and then I will sign my name to it. It would take something like a home looking like Bates Motel before I think it might concern me. And before anyone insinuates that my home is probably a mess, I have had plenty of folks stop by and tell me how nice my landscaping looks to them.
But, even though I might not agree with you, I still wish you a great week and a happy stay in The Villages. Hope some of the "Friendliest" rubs off on you all. :)

Could it be they are following up on reported suspected violations?
Is this the kind of awareness you want for your business by posting on this topic?