It really only becomes a major issue is when you try to sell your house and people that look at the neighborhood decide they don't want to live there because of the whimsy and personality. That's what impacts prices and length of time on the market. Funny how the live and let live attitude then changes.

The same is true if you're trying to sell your house and a would-be homeowner sees 100% conformity with 0% individual personality, and decides to buy elsewhere as a direct result of it.

Rigid restrictions restrict creativity rigidly. Wiggle-room allows for creativity, while maintaining a semblance of order.

I did not move down here to play enforcer and I do not feel it is my responsibility to report people I do not know. If some people get satisfaction in reporting their neighbors I am not one of them.

See above.

So, villagetinker, after 4 pages of this thread, have you gotten your question answered? :ohdear:

Potential buyers know that once they consider The Villages. Didn't we all see the conformity? And we are here.
Problem is the definition of "wiggle-room". Deed restrictions eliminate the question.

This thread is a classic example of subjective vs. objective.

I have nothing to add except to say that I just noticed CWGUY’s avatar and it made me laugh out loud.

:bigbow:

We'll miss you.

Apparently that is not happening. We are the fastest growing community in the country.

the villages florida is fastest growing - Bing

WOW! did I start up a hornets nest, actually my initial question was answered early on, and I was able to confirm with a detailed review of my deed restrictions, as well as one of the replies. As I noted before, I was NOT the victim of a troll, but I now understand that 35 of my neighbors were.
While I support the anonymous reporting system, I think there needs to be some tweaks to the existing process. This will probably be the subject of another thread.
I wish to thank all who have replied, there have been some interesting and insightful comments.
I also like the neatly kept yards, the houses that do NOT have the purple shutters, etc., and in an ideal world it would be nice if we could pickup the phone call a neighbor and say 'hey your whatever does not appear to be whatever with the neighborhood, would you consider doing (whatever) with it, in the real world, I doubt this would happen on friendly terms. I have a great relationship with all of my neighbors, and was very disappointed when I heard and saw some of the complaints, which was the reason for the initial post.

I any case I am getting an education reading all of the replies.

This happened in Tamarind Grove a few years back, done by a non resident of our village. (We had nothing out of compliance, so they skipped us.)

I know it was a non resident because she emailed the complaints, and under the FL sunshine laws, a Tamarind Grove owner was able to obtain the email.

///

If you go on the VCDD Community Standards site you will see a list of the districts. You can click on each district to see the rules for that area. They define what lawn ornaments are and where they cannot be displayed. You can also email a complaint directly to Community Standards by clicking on deed compliance. (Deedcompliance@districtgov.org) You could then list addresses and then you would have to specify each exact infraction for that address. Deed compliance only asks removal of objects mentioned at the specific address that was in the complaint. The person who did this in Pinellas did a lot of work and doesn’t even live in our Village.

Our little side of Pinellas is a quiet, small neighborhood that most of us have lived in for close to six years. We have block parties, Rec center parties, and a lot of friendly waving and stopping to chat. We love our neighborhood and everything about it. Yet one day a troll rolled through from another neighborhood turned off on Pinellas Place and drove around our quiet little streets and recorded over 35 complaints and then drove back out of our isolated paradise and back onto Pinellas Place to wherever they live. Neighborhoods should be monitored by that particular Village’s residents only. That is one change I would make on this system. It would still protect property values as people could effect change in their own neighborhood, but it would stop outsiders from invading neighborhoods they don’t live in. Just think, these trolls had to read up on District 9 rules and then launch an assault on our quiet enclave in the Village of Pinellas. We Pinellas Villagers are not happy that an outsider came in and anonymously complained about us. I hope the VCDD makes sure, at least, that this person is an actual Villages resident and has a valid Villages ID card.

I think you are mistaken :)