Talk of The Villages Florida - Amenities Fees Question

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- The Villages, Florida, General Discussion (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/)

- - Amenities Fees Question (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/amenities-fees-question-340934/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2212516)

Question. Don't all Villages houses have a bond when they are built?

All newly built homes have a bond debt. You acquire the bond debt when you purchase a home. You pay it annually on your property tax bill.

Homes in the "historic section" have no bond.
Older homes have been paying on their bond annually, and the amount is therefore reduced.
Some homeowners have chosen to pay off their bond instead of making annual payments. They still have to pay the annual maintenance fee with their property tax. But they are saving the interest expense and the annual administration cost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by snbrafford (Post 2212498)

I wanted to add that no golf is free. You can pay as you go at executive golf courses or if you play a lot, you can pay an annual "trail fee" - either way it's pretty cheap golf but not free. You can play the championship courses but not free. I've not stayed up with the cost of the premier membership but it only reduces the cost to play. For us, the executives are challenge enough.

Or you can walk, with a push cart or Cary your bag and the golf is FREE

I would say 25% of the people I play executive golf with, golf for free, because they don’t drive their cart

What is an amenity?

The amenity fee covers:

golf on executive courses
All the outdoor recreation facilities
All the indoor rec centers
Swimming (family, sports, adult pools), bocce, tennis, paddle, and pickleball
Dog parks, fishing, nature trails, and parks
Walking trails
3,000+ clubs
Those clubs can have meetings whenever they want, for free, in any of the rec centers
24-hour neighborhood watch

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 2212548)

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

- The Developer owns everything initially - houses, roads, rec centers, dog parks, etc
- People purchase homes
- Most roads are turned over to the County
- A CDD is established for local governance and for maintenance of common areas
- Amenities (golf courses, pools, rec centers, dog parks, etc) are turned over to the Villages CDD covering the area (North of 466 = VCCDD, 44 to 466 = SLCDD, South of 44 = ???).
- "Turning over" might involve payment to the Developer

When the dust settles:
- The resident owns the home
- The numbered CDD owns the common area and the Villa roads
- The County owns the non-Villa roads
- The Villages area CDD (VCCDD or SLCDD) owns the amenities

Amenity fees are paid monthly monthly on your utility bill and go to the CDD covering the area (VCCDD or SLCDD). Amenity fees pay for gate attendants, rec center employees, neighborhood watch, pool chemicals, new roofs on the rec centers, etc.

Maintenance fees are paid yearly on your tax bill (about $500) and go to your numbered CDD (CDD10 gets mine). These fees are used for maintenance of common areas such as entrance signs, painting some villa walls, flowers, maintenance of villa roads, filling sinkholes near retention ponds, etc.

A portion of the Maintenance fees from Districts 5-11 (currently) are pooled for project-wide maintenance activities (mowing common areas, flowers in common areas, fixing sinkholes, etc). The Project Wide Advisory Committee (PWAC) is a group of supervisors from Districts 5-11 that advises the SLCDD on the use of the pooled funds. They also make recommendations to the SLCDD on the use of Amenity fees.

For those who are already owners, the Resident Academy is the place to learn about District Government from the experts.

To add, the amenity fee also pays the interest and principal on the bonds issued to purchase all those amenities from The Developer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 2212548)

Great answer, just a few minor corrections:
PWAC now includes CDDs 5-13, growth continues, however it is highly that 14 will be a part of PWAC, more likely an eventual PWAC2. PWAC carries most of the maintenance contracts for CDDs 5-13 saving all of them money due to economy of scale and provides consistency between the CDDs, hence the reason a majority of their budgets go to fund the Project Wide Agreement (facts lost on the CDD7’s leadership).

SLCDD and VCCDD purchased the amenity assets and contracts from the developer and are the owners of the amenities between 44 and 466, and north of 466 respectively. You are correct about the Amenity fee going to the respective owning CDD. South of 44, the Amenity fee goes to the developer (except $4.08/month which goes to VPSD), the developer covers all operating and maintenance costs for the Amenities - the pay the Recreation Department for staffing and operation. From the fees they also have to pay property taxes, and eventually, they may actually make a small profit, but that is still may years away.

When moving south of 44 the county no longer takes ownership of the residential roads, these now below to the City of Wildwood, including the villa roads. North of 44 you are correct. The main/regional roads, like Meggison, are owned and maintained by Sumter County.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki (Post 2212591)

What is an amenity?

An 'amenity' is a nice activity or privilege that enhances our life in The Villages.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 2212548)

The Villa roads are public roads.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers (Post 2212704)

The Villa roads are public roads.

Yes, but that wasn't the point of the statement. The numbered CDDs in 1-3 and 5-11 own the villa roads and are responsible for their maintenance. In 4 CDD4 owns the maintenance and south of 44 Wildwood owns the maintenance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 2212556)

I have to disagree with the "yes" answer to HOA

Generally, HOAs are run by a bunch of busy body malcontents who take pleasure in trying to run other people's lives

Here, there are deed restrictions that are spelled out clearly for each unit. Violations can be reported anonymously, but Community Standards are responsible for investigating and homeowners are responsible for getting any changes approved through ARC. Neither of these oversight bodies has the same stigma as most HOAs nor are they run by the cabal of Karen, Karen, and Karen.

I have had to give my name on two issues one in District 12 and one where my parents reside. No anonymous status. In fact it seemed like Community Standards was trying to disuade me from making my complaints on the two different calls.

My response was "Is (the matter) against the covenants?"
Response: "Yes."
"Then fine, take my name."

(The calls were not miner things like a cross or a little statue or trivial matters like flowers within 13 ft of the road or for "Karen" clipboard type of stuff for our TOTV trolls.)

So what... is annonymous dependant on who answers the phone at Community Standards??

This is not correct. Executive golf is free if you elect to walk the courses. If you walk, a trail fee dies not apply.

be careful if you buy in the Wildwood section. There are additional taxes to live in the city of Wildwood, and the bonds on the new houses are very high. also be aware of the closeness to Coleman prison and the turnpike and the blasting going on.

So many CDD bond hymns and so few noodles. It looks like there is no free lunch owning these homes..

In the community where I live near Spanish Springs I pay an additional HOA of 190 per year

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowlingal (Post 2212720)

And the smell of a wet prairie ! The OP Renter questioned the Amenity Fees… The Real question should be concerning AirBnbs and Location of their Permanent home!

If you walk executive golf is free. All are walkable if your in average health.