In the case of a "Rat" who was involved and came forward for cash and immunity, evidence would be his testimony.

We just drove down that street s-l-o-w-l-y and I'll eat my hat if I could figure out where the trees went missing and if any trees have been replaced. There are a lot of houses with a lot of trees in back of them that back on Lake Miona.

District to Pay for Unauthorized Tree Cutting
 

Evidence yes.

Proof? No.

Proof is what the Jury(Judge) says it is.

Absolutely. And rarely is it one person's testimony.

And by the time you get lawyers involved 50k will look like a pittance.

Another consideration that should be giving the perp some nervous moments.

According to a comment in the on-line news, the $50,000 figure is actually closer to $100,000. It cost $50,000 to replace the trees, according to published sources, but that figure doesn't include the $30,000 fine. Does anyone know if that is true?

Has anyone seen what amount was deducted from districts five through ten's budget to pay for this?

The districts were also assessed an inspection fee by swiftmud of about $5000 per year for a number of years, bringing the total to almost $100,000.

This thread has reached 322 posts 323 if you include this one. so the issue is on a lot of people's minds and a lot of those people are just livid over the fact that someone had a party, they were not invited ,but go stuck with the bill and they rightly want to know why.

It is clear that the District takes command from The Villages of Lake Sumter, Inc (TVLSI) because TVLSI has the only voting rights and TVSLI controls Sumter county, its commissioners (Sumter One) which is a powerful incentive and warning to Sumter County Agencies. It is also the basis for the IRS bond issue

I am convinced that the District and suggestion from The Villages Lake Sumter, Inc. (Developer)said we don't want a lot of publicity here its not a good look for "Florida's Friendliest Town" pay the bill

So, who exactly is to blame. who exactly is at fault, and how would YOU handle it? How could the district in any way financially benefit from this?


Stuff DOES happen. Nasty people bilk the general public all of the time. I think of all of the perfectly capable people that defraud welfare, and we pay and pay and pay and pay.

I think Rubicon's take on this makes a lot of sense.

Is it a given that it was one or more of the residents?
Is it possible one of the houses for sale the realtor(s) might have been involved?
Is it possible one or more of one of the developers organizations was "somehow" involved?

I became jaded and suspicious when I first heard about it, especially when TV stepped right up to the plate and very quickly announced it was paying for the result.....it just raises a question of why such a quick response with so many unknowns?

Because the bill came to the district? From a government authority? Isn't the James River authority an offshoot of a federal green agency

I don't get it. I don't get it. I don't get it. How could the developers in any way benefit from any of this. This is small change to them. I/4 of the price of a designer home. It is no big whoopy do to have someone cut down trees as far as ruining the reputation of the villages. I think something spicy like sex on the square would be closer to that kind of bad publicity.

Pretty expensive for some firewood gratuitously donated to four homeowners!

This thread meets the text book definition of "beating a dead horse".