[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villager Joyce

I didn't give two seconds thought at closing about yard gnomes. All I thought about was we made it. That's right. We made it and bought our house. I didn't give it another thought until this thread started. In my past life there were association people that dealt with violations. No, I'm not asking for this, but it worked. Simply stating what I have experienced so probably what I expected. I certainly would not expect that a person with no vested interest could cause this kind of grief. 97 people had their lives changed in some way because one person complained. I have a friend who has a stone in her garden with her sons name who was killed in Iraq so we would have the freedom to debate gnomes. It is well hidden but if you go in her garden you can find it if you have nothing better to do or on a vendetta. To me it isn't as simple as rules are rules. Do we want all houses to be identical with no personality? Some might say this is what the restrictions say.

Joyce. If the people had a figure or object or pot of some size not sanctioned by standards that was not under the eaves as required then they were breaking their deed restrictions. I don't think that their "lives would be changed". I have never heard of a flagpole issue here either.

It generally works like this. Someone puts up a series of pots with artificial flowers in their front yard which is against the rule and someone reports them and they send a letter and check back and if they haven't moved them to under the eaves then they are fined. We all have the same rules south of 466, it shouldn't change our lives. It might annoy some, but it wouldn't annoy me. I think we have a lot of ways to show individuality without breaking the rules of deed restrictions.

We have lived with deed restrictions for the last thirty years. They are different for different places but usually include time limits on campers (RV's) and boats parked in the driveway or street and in our old neighborhood only wooden and not metal swing sets were allowed.

Please don't be upset. Someone went out and reported a lot of folks who had things that shouldn't have been there. We don't know why...maybe out of some kind of misplaced civic duty. Who knows?

No one is going to jail, they won't have their heart broken, they won't become sick, but they may have to sell an expensive object but most infringements are just yard junk that aren't real pretty by most people's standards. It is far simpler to not allow any than have all of that rigamarole with witnesses and lawyers and stuff like that Mr. Beck reported. Holy cow!.

[Villager Joyce]

The part that bothers me is anyone can report anyone. And I'm somewhat concerned about Stepford Wives invading TV. Flagpoles are somebody else's battle. It would devastate my friend if she had to remove her stone.

[Villageswimmer]

Originally Posted by Villager Joyce

The part that bothers me is anyone can report anyone. And I'm somewhat concerned about Stepford Wives invading TV. Flagpoles are somebody else's battle. It would devastate my friend if she had to remove her stone.

Not sure I understand. What do you mean by "Stepford wives invading TV?"

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villager Joyce

The part that bothers me is anyone can report anyone. And I'm somewhat concerned about Stepford Wives invading TV. Flagpoles are somebody else's battle. It would devastate my friend if she had to remove her stone.

You can report anything but if it isn't a deed restriction, then it won't be acted on. Some things are allowed by community standards. Ask first. It isn't a bad thing at all. Please don't be upset. I doubt her stone would be noticed, Joyce. Large stones are often allowed as part of landscaping.

Here is a partial explanation from 2012

http://www.districtgov.org/PDFView/P...20120517000801

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Villager Joyce

Since this is Mothers Day, let me quote my mom: two wrongs don't make a right.

Amen to that. Our mothers had the same philosophy.

[graciegirl]

These pictures are worth a few thousand more words....

yard ornaments - Bing Images

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

These pictures are worth a few thousand more words....

yard ornaments - Bing Images

I believe I recognize the pink flamingo.

[Villageswimmer]

Looks like the OP dropped off the thread. This topic clearly got a lot of people upset. Maybe one person filed 97 complaints (In later posts it became "hundreds"), but maybe not.

OTOH, maybe TV gets 97 complaints a day or a thousand--who knows? Hmmm...

The only real fact we are sure of is that we all agreed to abide by certain rules for the greater good. This should not be a surprise to anyone. Dramatic, emotional reactions and name calling change nothing.

[KeepingItReal]

Quote:
Originally Posted by KeepingItReal View Post
Maybe everyone should just go back and actually read their deed restrictions they have already agreed to and then go by what they say.....then there will be no disagreements.


[QUOTE=Barefoot;1058540][SIZE=3]

I think the conflict is about whether we have a "duty" to complain about any and all infractions.
Or we if should refrain from complaining unless we are truly offended.

Don't think anyone in the Villages is likely to succeed in telling anyone else here what it is their duty to do or not do, certainly not myself.

Everyone has to do and will do whatever they feel they need to do, all this is much ado about nothing...

[Villager Joyce]

Has one person changed their mind on this topic? My guess is maybe one or two people at best, but I doubt it. We all continue to repeat our opinion over and over again. Heck. I'm in The Villages. I shall not waste one more second of my life on this topic.

[lafoto]

Originally Posted by Villager Joyce

Has one person changed their mind on this topic? My guess is maybe one or two people at best, but I doubt it. We all continue to repeat our opinion over and over again. Heck. I'm in The Villages. I shall not waste one more second of my life on this topic.

I agree! Not changing to many minds here.

It comes down to lines of independence really. Are you a person who follows
all the rules without exceptions ever? Or are you a person that is fiercely independent and holds tightly to your personal freedoms at all costs?
Most of us probably fall somewhere in the middle.

I think the Villages is very wise to let those who are squabbling about the "line" work it out.

[JCMSr]

As TV as grown each new section has been given its own version of deed restrictions/covenants. It seems that the newer the area the more restrictive the covenants have become. Obviously there were issues (real or perceived) in prior areas pertaining to "lawn ornaments" or this would never have been included in the legal documents. We can debate forever over what is in good or poor taste when it comes to decorating styles and never agree. It is amazing to me that so many people seem to have signed in acknowledgement of these rules at the time of purchase but prefer to ignore them now that we are all settled in to our new lifestyle. The fact is, ignoring the rules will not make the problem go away and in fact is most likely what started this entire issue. The individual who decided to file 90+ complaints was more than likely trying to make a point and make a point he did! As has been previously speculated he probably was notified of a violation in his own yard and decided he did not have to comply until everyone else was treated the same way. Sounds reasonable even though his actions were a bit over the top (I refuse to say he is crazy, mean spirited, etc. as some have claimed). I have already been criticized for quoting my deed restrictions which state it to be our "duty" to report infractions. Like it or not it is what we agreed to. Have I reported anyone? No, but at least I have an option to do so in the event a giant flock of pink flamingos decides to move in next door or down the street. Is it fair for the developer to look the other way on such issues until they receive a complaint? Technically yes since they wrote the rules giving themselves "the rights but not the duty" for enforcement. Obviously, having neighbor tattle on neighbor is not very conducive to creating the friendly neighborhoods we thought we were moving to. On the other hand, ignoring the rules and acting as if they do not apply to you personally is not very neighborly either. So if you do not share your neighbors taste in yard art you can either keep your mouth shut and steam about it every time you walk out your door or you can do something about it and report it to the developer. At least you have choices.

I refuse to chastise anyone for exercising their rights in reporting a violation of this type although clearly in this instance it could have been dealt with in a more subtle manner. I can only imagine what this thread would have been like had he been reporting violations of the "no more than two pets" rule. I guess then I would have to break up my family of gold fish.

[Bonny]

Originally Posted by JCMSr

As TV as grown each new section has been given its own version of deed restrictions/covenants. It seems that the newer the area the more restrictive the covenants have become. Obviously there were issues (real or perceived) in prior areas pertaining to "lawn ornaments" or this would never have been included in the legal documents. We can debate forever over what is in good or poor taste when it comes to decorating styles and never agree. It is amazing to me that so many people seem to have signed in acknowledgement of these rules at the time of purchase but prefer to ignore them now that we are all settled in to our new lifestyle. The fact is, ignoring the rules will not make the problem go away and in fact is most likely what started this entire issue. The individual who decided to file 90+ complaints was more than likely trying to make a point and make a point he did! As has been previously speculated he probably was notified of a violation in his own yard and decided he did not have to comply until everyone else was treated the same way. Sounds reasonable even though his actions were a bit over the top (I refuse to say he is crazy, mean spirited, etc. as some have claimed). I have already been criticized for quoting my deed restrictions which state it to be our "duty" to report infractions. Like it or not it is what we agreed to. Have I reported anyone? No, but at least I have an option to do so in the event a giant flock of pink flamingos decides to move in next door or down the street. Is it fair for the developer to look the other way on such issues until they receive a complaint? Technically yes since they wrote the rules giving themselves "the rights but not the duty" for enforcement. Obviously, having neighbor tattle on neighbor is not very conducive to creating the friendly neighborhoods we thought we were moving to. On the other hand, ignoring the rules and acting as if they do not apply to you personally is not very neighborly either. So if you do not share your neighbors taste in yard art you can either keep your mouth shut and steam about it every time you walk out your door or you can do something about it and report it to the developer. At least you have choices.

I refuse to chastise anyone for exercising their rights in reporting a violation of this type although clearly in this instance it could have been dealt with in a more subtle manner. I can only imagine what this thread would have been like had he been reporting violations of the "no more than two pets" rule. I guess then I would have to break up my family of gold fish.

One of the best and most sensible posts I have seen !!!

[Hummintwo]

I have sat back, read, and remember my own experiences as a County Code Compliance Officer for one of the Largest Counties in the United States. Now we finally see in totality the truths about codes and enforcement. I often said someday I could write a book regarding types of code violations, reactions, resolution and bottom line the Court System.

In the Villages, as in my experience, investigations were complaint driven. On occasion, a complainant might circumvent the process by contacting the Chairman of the County Commission or their district Commissioner. In those instances, we would usually confirm a violation existed and report back our findings and then try to seek the cooperation of the complainant to make their formal complaint because our cases were complaint driven. Most of the time, a violator was not contacted by a neighbor or citizen and usually will cooperate without a court appearance. Each of us should take pause and understand that although we may feel uncomfortable, generally most people would rather a neighbor enlighten them to receive official notification through government enforcement. Complainant info was confidential unless a defendant would not cooperate and pleads not guilty to a charge(s) and a trial date is set with subpenas issued to the Code Enforcement Officer who wrote the citation and the complainants. We usually were quite successful in achieving our goal of compliance and anonymity of the complainant before citation(s) were necessary.

I hope this info is helpful to anyone who reads it but most of all a tribute to JCM for understand and communicating so well the issues at hand. The 97 complaints were generated to make a point. The complainant would have preferred to spend their time differently but he must face the truth as well as all 97 violators. Bring the property into compliance because we all bought into the deed restrictions.

I will now go back to my retirement and contemplate that book, maybe.

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by JCMSr

As TV as grown each new section has been given its own version of deed restrictions/covenants. It seems that the newer the area the more restrictive the covenants have become. Obviously there were issues (real or perceived) in prior areas pertaining to "lawn ornaments" or this would never have been included in the legal documents. We can debate forever over what is in good or poor taste when it comes to decorating styles and never agree. It is amazing to me that so many people seem to have signed in acknowledgement of these rules at the time of purchase but prefer to ignore them now that we are all settled in to our new lifestyle. The fact is, ignoring the rules will not make the problem go away and in fact is most likely what started this entire issue. The individual who decided to file 90+ complaints was more than likely trying to make a point and make a point he did! As has been previously speculated he probably was notified of a violation in his own yard and decided he did not have to comply until everyone else was treated the same way. Sounds reasonable even though his actions were a bit over the top (I refuse to say he is crazy, mean spirited, etc. as some have claimed). I have already been criticized for quoting my deed restrictions which state it to be our "duty" to report infractions. Like it or not it is what we agreed to. Have I reported anyone? No, but at least I have an option to do so in the event a giant flock of pink flamingos decides to move in next door or down the street. Is it fair for the developer to look the other way on such issues until they receive a complaint? Technically yes since they wrote the rules giving themselves "the rights but not the duty" for enforcement. Obviously, having neighbor tattle on neighbor is not very conducive to creating the friendly neighborhoods we thought we were moving to. On the other hand, ignoring the rules and acting as if they do not apply to you personally is not very neighborly either. So if you do not share your neighbors taste in yard art you can either keep your mouth shut and steam about it every time you walk out your door or you can do something about it and report it to the developer. At least you have choices.

I refuse to chastise anyone for exercising their rights in reporting a violation of this type although clearly in this instance it could have been dealt with in a more subtle manner. I can only imagine what this thread would have been like had he been reporting violations of the "no more than two pets" rule. I guess then I would have to break up my family of gold fish.

My sentiments exactly ( if anyone cares). Wish I could be so articulate and concise. Good job JCMSr