Sorry, but this is old news.

Completely agree, the entire thread is old news. But, some things get better as they age :)

(At least I keep telling myself that)

About a year ago, hubby and I were taking a walk in our neighborhood. We came across a home with really beautiful landscaping and the homeowner happened to be outside. We commented how beautiful his landscape was and he thanked us.

Then.......the RANT happened. He told us he was reported for his landscape wall being too close to the property line. He was informed he had to have it removed. Believe me...he was not laughing.

Well, mine was one, and that is one. We have what another 161,998 to check with?

I have a serious question to ask (most of my posts are not serious, if you haven't noticed).

How many of you "Rules are Rules" types have called the police and reported a friend who had one too many beers and was driving home?

To me, it's a case of what is a real issue and what is not and who is doing the reporting. If my neighbor put up several 20 foot high pink flamingos in his/her front yard, that's one thing - it should be removed as it certainly violates "community standards" and is an eyesore. However, if a neighbor 3 doors down on my cul-de-sac places an inconspicuous small white cross in honor of her husband who passed while living in The Villages (which is an actual happening), that's quite another. The small cross is not an eyesore; it is barely noticeable among some shrubs in the yard and should be allowed to remain.

Personally, I also have a problem with people reporting anonymously; it's one thing for people living close to those displaying whatever it is they are complaining about and possibly affecting the value of their home or making it difficult to sell, but quite another for people/trolls who ride around just looking for things to complain about when it does not concern them at all. Things are rarely black and white; if they were, we would not need the architectural review committee.

I agree. I moved here because I liked the deed restrictions. Saying that, if I have a neighbor who doesn't follow them, I have the courage to address it with them. I don't need anyone from other neighborhoods riding around a school kid to see what they are going to catch. Get a life people.

I was speaking with my neighbors across the street and the topic turned to my driveway painting that is starting today. They asked if I had gotten ARC approval yet, and I said I had not yet, because I submitted everything and ARC wanted a copy of my deed. I just closed 3 days ago and don't have the deed yet. I told them that today the contractor was only going to do those parts not visible from the street - the garage, lanai, etc. and the Driveway would wait until I had approval. I said I was tempted to go ahead anyway, because I spoke to them when I sent is the application with photos of the designs etc, and they said they didn't see any problems, except they needed the deed before they normally would approve it.

My neighbor then asked what kind of design we were getting, and I said we decided on a pair of pole dancers outlined in flashing red LEDs...

They laughed.

Can I ask, if you want a reminder of someone passing why not have the cross inside? Is it to let everyone else know? The thing is a cross is a religious symbol, and so it brings up emotions in those who are Christian and those who are not.

:coolsmiley:

I believe the “inside the house” restrictions are enforced by the Developer and not Community Standards. I dont’t believe the Developer does much enforcement. I think you are OK with lots of goldfish.

:1rotfl::clap2::1rotfl:

But, but, but... The rules boss, the rules!

Sounds like someone who wants to break the rules or fells above the rules

It isn't the complaint it is the anonymous system and "trolls" who may or may not live in that neighborhood, or even The Villages.

I, too, believe these people with clipboards is a myth. I’ve seen ZERO evidence to substantiate this.

Trailer parks aren’t what they used to be, honey.

:icon_wink:I'm getting a kick out of this thread like everyone else.:a040: Even if it is like DEJA VU all over again. Here we are at almost 140 posts and it just dawned on me...... :confused:isn't there an unwritten site rule that states you have to have deflated the airbed and made sure the ink is dry on your sales contract before you start campaigning to change the deed restrictions you agreed too? :oops:

Little white crosses grow into 8 foot tall crosses made with 2x4's and lit up with a spotlight in the middle of a lawn for 4+ months of every year. It's not the crosses it's the idea that if "A" is ok then "B" is too or is she can do it so can I. A lawn display is a lawn display whether it's a cross or a peeing dog or a 6 inch high bird which all violate what we chose to agree to when we bought here.

I really don't get it. It has nothing to do with religion or patriotism (in the case of flags). There are no "shades of gray" with this it's simply allowed or not and here it is not and we ALL agreed that it is NOT when we moved in here and signed the papers.

Interesting question, can you point to the person that wants to change the covenants we agreed to? I am sure you didn't just make the up.

Interesting indeed.

Wait. How would the clipboard woman (according to legend, it’s always a woman) in the golf cart get south of 44 to stir up all this angst?

Kinda like Santa. “She’s” everywhere.

Or, is she a convenient scapegoat?

Well, section 4 of my covenants say "Lawn ornaments are prohibited, except for seasonal displays"

So, basically it says you can put out a set of lawn ornament for every season... I think there are four seasons, and between them they make up the whole year...

Seriously, everyone is acting like this is all clear cut legal agreement, and the language in them would be laughed out of any court. I am NOT saying I disagree with them (I mentioned earlier I am waiting to paint my driveway so that I am in fact in compliance.) I am just saying, things are not all black and white like it is being made out here.

Get Real
 

What I posted is what is in violation of the Deed Restrictions. Why is it necessary to try to justify everything by failed judgement and faulty logic. I can say what I think but I can't help you understand it I see there are those who make the person who reports the violation of the Deed Restriction as the "bad person" and the one violating the Villages rules as the "victim"So the Cop who stops a person who is speeding is bad and the one speeding is a victim. It is truly scary that we have some people who believe this "junk" and preach this to our children. We then wonder why they have little respect for the laws. To add fuel to the fire we make "dope" legal and screw up their minds. And were the "older generation" and should be educating our children and respecting the laws. Is this the first evidence the general IQ has fallen and continues to fall. Sure as heck looks like it?? :ho:

You know a couple of pink flamingos being OK'd opens the door for their ancestors

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b4d0f3e8e5.jpg

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Oh No! "Dinosaurs That Ate The Villages", coming to a theater near you!

And with that I think I am out of this thread, it is just flapping in the breeze... so to speak. It's been real, see you in the next thread.

Erm, god didn't have anything to do with the grass, or the flowers. The land didn't look anything remotely like it does now, until the developers plowed what god really DID create, destroyed it, removed it, and created something that was never meant to grow here. Wilderness is made by god. Lawns are made by landscapers.

A novel idea, but sadly there are a few people who just get some kind of perverted thrill out of seeking flaws in everyone else. That is probably their own greatest flaw, but I'm guessing only one of many - which is why they spend so much time and effort seeking out the flaws of everyone else.

Interesting. What district are you in? Ours exactly (not basically) in district 6 says 30 DAYS which isn't quite forever based on "4 seasons.":

■ 2.15b Lawn ornaments are prohibited, except for seasons displays not exceeding a thirty (30) day duration.

Not quite sure what is a "seasons display". Strange terminology. My guess is (and it is admittedly poorly written and unclear) their intent was for major holidays but that wouldn't stand up in court. What is a major holiday for one may not be for another.

I must have missed the post saying she was seen south of 44. With all the posts on this and the other 2 threads it is very possible some one said she was.

My yard is in compliance with the codes so I'm not worried about someone reporting me. One of the reasons we like it here is because of the codes that keep the neighborhoods looking good. My problem is with the anonymous reporting. In my 72 years of life working in civilian and military organizations, the best way to ruin morale and cohesiveness is to have an unknown snitch ratting out people. It builds distrust and suspicion and makes the environment a distasteful place to work or live in. Seeing as how The Villages has set this system in place it belies the motto of the "Friendliest City".

I think we should be apprised of people who "turn us in" because we should be able to face our accusers. For those people who are against the little white crosses, get real! Too many have been turned in for that "infraction" and it's silly. If it offends someone because s/he has no religious belief, why should those who do practice a faith be subjected to the others' hedonistic ways?

I agree with several of the comments. If your own neighborhood people aren't offended by what's in your yard, why should TROLLS play the role of judge of the universe? What about adult children (40 + , 50+ years old) living with parents. A visit is nice; a forever stay is not why we moved here. Why must we all be exposed to degenerates, ill-bred people who should be living on their own rather than with elderly parents. It's time for these folks to get a life!

Can't make it up
 

You can't make this stuff up. Now with some posters God has nothing to do with grass and flowers, etc. Regardless how bad they sound some have to say something even if they are without substance so they make things up. These are people actually influencing the our children. :ohdear:

I don't like them, and they make me uncomfortable. But I'm not going to file a formal complaint about them, unless I start seeing it become a trend in the neighborhood. A house here and there with one is just something I'll learn to accept as just some weird southern christian trend. It isn't a "thing" where I'm from. But those crosses ARE against the rules. They're against the rules, you know this when you move in, so if you choose to break the rules, you should accept that someone might object enough to complain formally about it. You can think it's stupid, and I might even agree with you if it's placed tastefully, and not made to be some kind of "in your face statement." But rules are rules. There are areas in the Villages where you're ALLOWED to put these things. If it's that big a deal to you, you should move to one of those areas.

That's my objection. Not to reporting violations - people shouldn't knowingly violate the rules. Some rules are vague, some make no sense (see posts by Martian, who quotes actual nonsensical rules about pets), and some aren't typically "intentionally" violated (letting grass grow an inch too long because your landscaper was sick that week, for example).

The objection on my end is to the anonymity. There's zero accountability on the part of the person making the complaint, if the Community Standards doesn't have to record who that person is.

Totally agree!!! You choose to move here. You sign a contact. But for some people they decide they don't like some parts of the contract... so they should be able to ignore them. I have a neighbor that has a 6 foot lawn ornament in their front yard. I guess... based on some comments, I should just let things go. Even though I don't have any lawn ornaments in my front lawn because I know it's against the rules. And I think the 6 ft. lawn ornament is hideous. But I guess I should just suck it up...

Why does one need accountability when he/she reports a POSSIBLE infraction? After all, he/she is not the final determiner that a violation occurred, Community Standards is.

If CS had a record of the complainer, then what? Would the offender confronting the reporter result in anything positive?

[/QUOTE]The objection on my end is to the anonymity. There's zero accountability on the part of the person making the complaint, if the Community Standards doesn't have to record who that person is.[/QUOTE]

Those that don't like annoymous reports - The best way to end that practice is to get rid of all violations. No violations, no complaints.

I've gone into detail and given several examples over the last 15 pages of this thread, and of two previous threads on similar topics. But sure, here it is again:

There are people in this world who are not nice. They are petty and vindictive. This is a given and the Villages are not exempt from this.

Community Standards will investigate ALL complaints against a property.

Here's a new example, because this seems just so fitting and obvious:

Mr. Jones had a little ornamental statue on his front garden bed. Nothing tacky, just a simple little terra cotta bridge, three feet long, half a foot wide, curving over a winding stream made of blue river-rock. It had been there for the past 10 years, and he took good care of the garden bed, growing beautiful flowers and low-growing shrubbery with a few stepping stones leading to and from the little bridge.

Miss Smith was rebuffed by Mr. Jones when she found out he was a widow and wanted to hook up with him. Miss Smith was a petty, nasty woman, and reported Mr. Jones for the violation of the bridge. Not because she felt it shouldn't be there, but because she had a personal problem with Mr. Jones, and she was somewhat unhinged.

So CS came and made him move the decoration. He did - he put it under the eaves in a different flower bed. CS signed off on it and were satisfied.

Miss Smith, thinking she was going to create a lot of trouble for Mr. Jones, became even more unhinged, and decided she would take it out on CS. It was their fault, afterall, for not making Mr. Jones remove the entire decoration from his property.

So Miss Smith started reporting all kinds of violations in various neighborhoods. She just made them up, because she wanted CS to suffer. She wanted them to have to work harder than necessary over nothing at all, because she felt they didn't work hard enough on helping her "get back at" Mr. Jones for not wanting to date her.

And since she didn't have to give her name or address, there was nothing CS could do about it. They had to inconvenience themselves and look into every single non-existing violation.

That is just ONE example of one thing that COULD happen, if it hasn't already happened. I know of one situation that isn't the same, but is similar, in my own neighborhood in OB. Contrary to popular belief, there ARE restrictions in the historic area. They're very much more relaxed than the rest of the Villages but they do exist, and you can be in violation of them, and CS will infract you if you are. There are people who have personal scores to settle against neighbors, and will take it out on each other by using CS as their weapon.

And if CS doesn't do what the neighbor thinks should be done, they'll take it out on CS.

CS has no recourse, because it is an anonymous complaint system.

Good morning. Might anyone Have any updates on the lofts at Brownwood ? I'm a High school teacher in NY and am looking forward to relocating to the Villages in the near future. In addition, I visited brownwood for a week this summer and loved it. Thank you. George

The older areas, east and north of 441/27 have very few deed restrictions. If someone reports something that is NOT a deed restriction anywhere in The Villages, than nothing happens.

If someone reports something that is restricted, a notice is given the homeowner and if the homeowner doesn't comply, they are fined. They are given a warning first. If someone reports something that has been given permission, nothing happens. Rarely does grass too long ever become an deed restriction. Usually only when a home is abandoned or owned by a lending institution. It really makes more sense once a person has seen how it works for a year or two.

Most of us think that the restrictions are good, we were aware of the deed restrictions before we moved here and think they are helpful in keeping the area looking nice and keeping property values up. Some are used to telling people things directly something unpleasant to hear and some are not. I think that anonymity keeps things a little more comfortable at neighborhood gatherings.

Just like anything else if we don't hire a staff to do it is costs less money and that keeps all costs down. Again, I say that none of us have perfect taste. Less is more. We can adorn our home indoors.

Deed restrictions are good for the continued beauty of this place and some things need reporting.

Ugly Garden Ornaments