Not every Village north of 466 allows lawn ornaments.

Spot On!

You've missed the point.

Right on! 👍

What really gets me is the people who snitch and don’t even live in the neighborhood where the violation is.

Really the little white crosses and the beautiful bird ornaments bothers people or detracts from the neighborhood.

I can understand why people could be upset if a place is totally overrun with lawn ornaments but a couple of nicely placed ones actually could 'increase' the value the values of surrounding homes. Not necessarily in money but in real sale time. A nicely appropriated home appeals to people, called curb value.
But what I do not understand if one is such a coward that they can't come forward and look their neighbor in the eye when doing this. If they feel so strongly about a colorful frog that is about 6 inches in height and it makes a potted plant look even better then they should put their name on it.
As they are saying, "We are correct in doing this" then stand up and do it in view.
We live in a Beautiful place but these cowards put more of a STAIN on it than any lawn ornament could ever do.

What a bunch of crap.

I moved here nine months ago. I don’t have a clue what the restrictions are? So, I guess I couldn’t report anyone since I would not have any idea what to report? That said, I believe common sense is in order. If someone has a small pelican ornament in their front yard who cares? Now if someone has 20 lawn ornaments in their front yard, then certainly that’s a different thing. I’m too busy enjoying my new life in the villages to be looking for things to report. Again, I’m not even sure what I would report? Yes maybe I need to find out what the restrictions are

To me, there is a huge difference between a tiny white cross or a heron figurine in the flower bed and junk cars up on blocks in the driveway or a gaggle of Disney elves your made in ceramic class on the front lawn. And if you are a Purple Heart recipient and disabled I don't care if your driveway is a foot wider than mine so you can get out of your car better. It is this kind of nitpicking that irritates rational folks. And yes, if you don't live in my neighborhood you need to mind your own business and should have zero say!

I have no problem with the rules. But lets make it fair. Require complaints to be addressed and signed so you can confront your accuser. The system promotes complaints which disrupt neighborhood harmony. If it bothers you, own it! Don't hide behind an anonymous complaint. Especially when I am sure you are not without fault. Cowards!!!

It seems this thread just keeps going round and round. And it is not the first thread on the subject. Apparently some people feel the letter of the rules is all that matters, and others feel the intent of the rules are what matters. All the name calling and vitriol are not going to help.

One observation, this is not unique to TV. It exists all around the country in work places and public places. With HOAs and Laws. It seems we are largely divided into two "types" of people - those that believe strongly that rules should be enforced literally, and those that feel rules should provide direction and the intent should be the main focus.

I don't think "yelling" at each other is going to change anything on this topic. It never has anywhere else...

I've lived in quite a few neighborhoods without deed restrictions. They were all extremely desirable areas. Not a trailer I sight. Houses were keep up with each individual taking personal responsibility for their own property. Values rose and homes sold quickly. We didn't have to have someone tell us what is good or bad taste regarding our homes. Worked out fine. Question? Do you get to face your accusers? Also, what's wrong with a few lawn decorations in the front of the house?

I don't believe we will ever see your suggestion implemented. Besides the obvious expense of hiring a team to look for infractions, I believe the larger issue is the potential for selective enforcement and the subsequent legal ramifications. With the current complaint driven system, I do not believe there is any potential for selective enforcement as long as Community Standards investigates and enforces the deed restrictions with all complaints. With your suggestion, any infractions that were missed (and there are 62,000 homes in The Villages that would need to be continuously monitored) could be the basis of a subsequent claim of selective enforcement. I have seen this happen.

We all have CC&R's, however, some opt to think they rules do not apply to them. If everyone followed the rules, there would be no problems to report. Also, perhaps Community Standard could go through the neighborhoods and check on violations and speak to the owner.

Oh, it's worse than that. If TV took responsibility (or the districts, or who ever) then they would have to setup yet another entire department to handle explaining why some things are NOT in breach of the rules. Because someone is going to be ****ed that their neighbor is "getting away with breaking the rules".

As it is they only have to do that on the reported cases.

Perhaps they lived by the "rules".

I agree with you. Owners sign documents along with 'understanding the CC&R's' when they purchase a house but soon forget and think they are exempt from everything and do as they please. And then the people who report the yards looking like they are in foreclosure and the "horrible neighbors".

I assume then you believe the rules are so clearly written that there would never be any disputes?

As far as I know if that were possible there would be NO lawyers anywhere.

It is almost impossible to write rules/laws that are not disputed, or that can be clearly applied.

In addition, there are "exceptions" granted, from what I understand. And someone has to make the decision what exceptions are to be granted.

If only life were black and white, sadly there are grays.

Well said! Thank you.

Totally agree with this post. Additionally, the law of the land is that we all have the right to face our accusers. This should be above any covenants we signed to keep our neighborhoods "pristine". Change the process!

...and now it's been brought to the attention of everyone who reads this forum. Which means if the "woman who goes around neighborhoods with a clipboard to identify homes that violate the restrictions" reads this forum, she now knows of another place she can complain about and get the statue removed.

Such a shame we encourage people to mind the business of other peoples' neighborhoods.

If you follow the rules you agreed to when you bought a home here, no one would ever have anything to report. That seems easy to understand.

I believe the right to face your accusers applies to criminal prosecutions and not civil cases.

There already IS selective enforcement. Infractions of violations are ONLY enforced if someone complains. So you can have a peeing dog statue on your lawn for 20 years, while your next door neighbor gets infracted when his landscaper misses a square foot of grass that grows to 5 inches instead of the maximum 4 inches allowed, because that square foot is around the flagpole that the guy down the street doesn't like.

Community standards will go to check out the flagpole, and measure the grass, and say "oh yes indeedy, you are a violator alright, shame on you!" and walk right past that peeing dog statue next door on the way back to their golf cart, smile at the statue, and drive on. Because no one reported a complaint against it.

I don't know anyone who move to TV because of the deed restrictions. They moved here for many reasons but the deed restrictions were not one of them. For the most part excepted them as a good thing and part of a neat and orderly society. Clearly, some folks need to chill a bit regarding them. Descretion is in order here. On one hand you have zee polizie who take any deed infractions personally, and on the other hand those who clearly just push the lawn ornament thing too far (as an example). I suspect this will never change. One thing I do think is that anonymous report should stop. It's creepy and underhanded in a free and open society. If there is something you feel is a significant violation, have the courage to stand up and be heard.

I don't live in TV. Thought once of buying. Liked idea of courtyard villa with no maintenance rock. Looks like most Villas are that way. But read a new owner had someone complain and cost a fortune to remove and sod. Villages Realty touts no maintenance yards in their advertisements. What's with that? Promoting violations? Am I wrong? If so, wonder how many folks yelling follow the rules have "no maintenance yards." Not ALL HOA rules make sense, band together and fight for changes that make sense. The American way!

I assume you have never lived in a deed restricted community. Selective enforcement refers to when the enforcement arm of the deed restrictions does not apply the deed restrictions uniformly and can be the legal basis for a homeowner not having to comply with a violation that others have not been previously forced to comply with. Reporting of infractions, and this is important, can be from a complaint driven system or can be monitored by the enforcement arm itself. In The Villages, it is complaint driven and I believe this effectively removes any possibility of selective enforcement (as long as the complaints are investigated and violations are uniformly dealt with). Otherwise, it would take a large organization to continually monitor The Villages' homes for any and all infractions and anything they miss could be the basis for a legal claim of selective enforcement. In The Villages, I have never heard of a claim of selective enforcement and I believe the reason for this is the fact that the enforcement arm (Community Standards) is not responsible for reporting. This was, in my opinion, a very wise decision.

Every HOA enforces the associations rules. All of the associations where I have lived, whether they be for a condo, or a home, had rules that each condo/home owner agreed to follow. The document they usually had was often called the association bylaws. The enforcement procedures were anonymous in each of the associations, as they are here in the villages. The anonymous reporting was sometimes done by a neighbor [or a snitch] or by a board member. In either case you received the notorious letter about the problem and requiring resolution by a certain date. One of the 1st reactions after reading the HOA violation letter usually is "who reported me?" or "who reported this problem" and HOA members never find out because sharing the info could lead to bad blood or violence. Americans including villagers have problems with drugs, alcohol and guns and who noes what could happen if someone knew their neighbor reported them a few times for having weeds in their lawn, or not cutting the lawn or not replacing old mulch or something else cosmetic in the property.

The villages is a very large HOA and this system works to a certain degree. One case where the system fails is with all the complainers who agree to the system when they sign closing docs and move in, and then when they are reported they feel they should be exempt from legal docs they signed.

Exactly. One of the reasons we moved into this place was the way it looked and knowing people could not put anything they wanted in the front of their home. Otherwise all kinds of junk would appear. However, if there is an infraction, it should cover any house within 200 feet and be applied equally to everyone.

I lived in a condo complex with an HOA, and we had deed restrictions.

If you want it to be up to the complainer to complain, then it is the responsibility of the Community Standards to MAKE that complaint, if they see a violation while they're in the process of investigating another violation.

If I am a Community Standards officer, visiting 1313 Mockingbird Lane for violation of the grey peeling paint on their front door, and I see a plastic pink flamingo on the front lawn of their neighbor when I park my golf cart in front of the neighbor's house, then it is my responsibility to point out to the guy at 1311 Mockingbird Land that he needs to get rid of his pink flamingo.

If I CHOOSE not to complain about what is right in front of me, then I am selectively enforcing the rules.

Apples and oranges again

There are snitches, yes rats, there are those who just live and let live and there are those who would only report something if it is a gross or harmful violation for the protection of all....and in their own neighborhood. If someone routinely goes out of their way to make sure “others get it right”, covertly or overtly they are disliked sometimes hated. No one likes a snitch even the snitch if he is snitched on doing something untoward.

I believe you have failed to understand the nuance of how infractions are monitored. I doubt Community Standards wants to be in the business of monitoring infractions because it opens the flood gates for claims of selective enforcement. You can make claims as to what you believe Community Standards should be doing but it really doesn't matter. They are obviously doing what they have been instructed to do and I suspect there is solid legal advice behind their mission for the reason I already stated. As far as I can tell, they uniformly apply the deed restrictions under the reporting system they have chosen to implement.

Why is this person reporting violations when she does not live in the Village? Do you really think it is because she cares about the violations? Don't you feel it is because it gives her a feeling of self importance? She is not correcting an injustice, she is being a tattle tale.

You purchased here and didn't know what you were buying into? Really?

Okay, so why would anyone have an issue...

Maybe for things like:

Section 2: No business - PERIOD FULL STOP. Nothing ambiguous here, easy to enforce, just ask the owners of TOTV who were reported for violating this one and had to either shut it down or relocate it's "offices". And BTW if any of you are trading stocks online from your laptop at home (late at night with the lights turned off in your closet so no one can see you and report you) with the intent of making a profit, you are in violation and should turn yourselves in, since we know you didn't move here with the intent of violating the rules.

Section 3: Seriously, nothing "noxious or offensive"? Seriously? Uh, defining offensive will be an entire thread in and of itself. Personally I find anything orange to be offensive, and I am sure you will all agree with that, right? I did have a former wife that considered anything Purple offensive, but I did say she was a "former" wife, and that pretty much explains that...

But, then I am sure everyone agrees with me on what offensive means and so there will be no problems enforcing this.

Section 6: What a wealth of humor we have here. This one section has spawned numerous threads in TOTV all by itself. I am sure the committee that wrote it spent a significant amount of time getting the meaning exactly and clearly defined...

Lets start with only 2 goldfish are allowed. PERIOD - FULL STOP AGAIN. Anyone with more than two gold fish in their TV home should be persecuted (or prosecuted, I can't keep the two straight.) Also, I do hope you had your two goldfish neutered - we wouldn't want a couple hundred little goldfishlings spawning unexpectedly - against the rules. Oh, hmm, does a pregnant goldfish count as one goldfish or a hundred goldfish? A single goldfish would not need to be neutered, obviously, unless you let it have its goldfish friends of the opposite sex over on occasion, then appropriate chaperoning is recommended, or having it neutered is strongly suggested.

If you have any poultry you are in direct violation of section 6 - PERIOD FULL STOP - uh well, unless the poultry are birds, in which case two of them are permitted, uh well, unless you also have a Goldfish, then you have to get rid of a bird or the fish. I mean after all - RULES ARE RULES!

Why on earth would you want to move to The Villages knowing that you have two gold fish and a parakeet which is in direct violation of the RULES. Heavens forbid!

And btw, any of you who happen to have dogs, I hope you don't let anyone catch those dogs running around loose inside your house, since it is clearly stated in section 6 of THE RULES that all such pets shall be kept on a leash - PERIOD FULL STOP - NO EXCEPTIONS are defined and therefore no exceptions are permitted.

And for those of you who were lulled into thinking you could at least take your dogs to the off leash dog parks for them to get some exercise running and playing with the other dogs. You should pay close attention to Section 6 which clearly does not provide for any exceptions to the RULES - "such pets" (dogs are part of the animal kingdom defined as pets) shall be kept on a leash. So, sorry, you must keep your pet leashed at all times, even at the off leash dog park.

And speaking of leashes, you better have those gold fish leashed, or else because you know - RULES ARE RULES and the rules clearly and specifically define gold fish as "pets" and the owners of such "pets" are required to keep them on leash(es).

Yep, I agree why would anyone move here knowing they were going to be in violation of THE RULES, because well, all together now - RULES ARE RULES!

Seems pretty simple to me. But, if not, we can continue through the other sections which provide as least as much amusement as these three.

So, you think that any resident of any part of the Villages is doing everyone a favor by going around neighborhoods she doesn't live in, with the intention of collecting a list of addresses with violations to turn in to Community Standards.

And in the same breath, you think that an individual working for Community Standards, who is also a resident of any part of the Villages, whose job it is to check out these lists of violations, should NOT submit their own complaints when they see violations that aren't on those lists.

It's important and helpful if one person does it, but it's also important and helpful if someone else doesn't do it.

I "fine" that hypocritical.

There is a difference between something that violates a restriction and something that is offensive or improper. Or something that truly detracts from property values. From the people I know, they didn't move here to patrol neighborhoods, particularly not their own, in order to make an issue of a non-issue for the sake of feeling important. In fact, I doubt most people move here for the deed restrictions, as someone mentioned above. I've stayed away from HOA developments up until now, specifically for that reason, and realtors around the country will tell you that that is a primary reason people dont want to live in those developments. Not because they want to live like slobs or dont appreciate neatness, but because there are limits on how much people will allow others to dictate how they live. (Hong Kong?). I have no infringements on my home, but i did hesitate to buy here because of that. I, like so many others, buy here because of the lifestyle, the golf, the pickleball, the shows, the activities AND the overall beauty of the place, particularly the public areas. I cringe at the thought of people who dont have lives to live, finding street patrols satisfying when there is so much else here to enjoy. The new state law that allows gardening in the front lawns must be giving them sleepless nights. (I know its being contested). Anyway, i hope Moral1 and GracieGirl are following the responses and choose to leave their neighbors in peace.

When we bought our house (third one here) I asked the man who showed it to us the day we moved in about putting my little stone Dalmatian dog out front. He, who works in a upper position for TV said, go ahead. If a neighbor is a tattle tale you may have to put it under the eaves. The villages doesn’t go around inspecting such little things and only very hesitantly say anything unless there is a complaint. I put the dog out beside the fire hydrant for years but he needed paint so he is now gone. None of my neighbors objected or had a hissy fit over him. I guess I was lucky to move into a reasonable area. It was far from having junk vehicles in the yard.

Please feel free to argue with someone else and don’t put words in my mouth as you have no idea what I think. I am only explaining how things work and the probable reason why things are the way they are. You seem to be totally oblivious to the nuts and bolts of actually enforcing deed restrictions in a large community and the limited options that are available. I am sorry this is not Camelot. Perhaps you should have researched The Villages in more detail. Have a nice day.