[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by VT2TV

Personally, I think this whole thing stinks. You can't possibly tell me they are our of leads, and they are just quitting. I happen to be in the lucky districts who have been selected to pay for the trees I have never seen, in an area where I don't know anybody, but we are also in the district that has been selected to help pay for the island having problems that is under the bridge on Morse coming into Lake Sumter. Since most people who live in the Villages has probably crossed that bridge as many or more times than the people in the Districts chosen to pay for the repair cost, I don't understand how they decided who would have to pay. I think if any Villagers have to pay for these 2 costs, then all Villagers should have to pay for both. I realize that spread out, it might not seem a problem to some, but it is just the priniciple of the thing. The first issue should not have to be paid by the residents for the actions of a few. I agree with the poster who said that the Villages/? should make the 4 residents pay for the trees. When one of them thinks they are going to have to pay out big money, it might not be so important to keep a pact. Then, I certainly think that the bridge/island issue should be spread out amonst all the residents. There are plenty of people who may not have lived here a month that are going to have to pay, and then those who have lived here for years and have used the bridge maybe daily, who don't have to pay. Just doesn't seem right. This is my opinion. Just for curosity, if anyone responds negativly to this post, please also share if you live above or below 466.

They are going to pay for the fine. I would guess if they find out something later they will lower the boom.

But now the district is going to pay the fine leveled by the folks who have authority over protected trees whatever their name is..St John's River is what I thought it was called.

Substitute the word TOWN for district. It is the way things work everyplace.

I think sometime....someone is gonna find out the truth. Someone is going to tell on the landscapers who were hired to do it.

If you want to see a visual about where the trees were and where this happened. Go to sumterpa.com and type in the name of the street. Click on one of the addresses and you can see a map of the area and the little islands just behind some of the homes on Lake Miona. It enlarges.

It will keep us all busy while we fume.

So far in the eight years that I have lived here THEY have set aside money for things like this and no extra charges have ever personally hit anyone in the form of a bill like in other places where they charge you for painting the bocce courts or something like that with an assessment. The district will pay and the district has probably held funds for these purposes.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

You can't make someone pay the tree fine if the trees are not on their property and there is no proof they cut them down or had them cut down. I think it is called circumstantial evidence. The circumstances make it look like so and so happened. But the burden of proof is not met. I don't know, I am not a lawyer and I haven't ever sued anyone or been sued or broke any law that I know of. I did break the speed limit law and got caught twice and admitted I did it, but I wasn't drinking...... and I try to stay away from lawyers except at family gatherings

If they didn't have laws like that folks would be going around saying it looks like you did it...your fanny is going to jail. That is the reason we have the law of the land.

Unfortunately it protects the innocent and the guilty.

I need coffee. Probably this is all wrong.

I mean, I know it is all wrong for people to hack down trees and their town gets fined and they don't have to be in the soup personally.

Good morning everyone. It's gonna be another beautiful day in The Villages.

Gracie -- I know you can't make these four residences pay for the fine and new plantings. But I still think to depose these owners is a good idea.

I just wonder how it's "determined" who pays in some of these instances? What is the deciding factor? Just like residents south of 466 have to pay for the erosion under the bridge, as though no one north of the bridge or non residents don't use the bridge. In my mind, that is stupidity at its finest!

[twoplanekid]

From the PWAC ( Project Wide Advisory Committee) meeting minutes from March 2, 2015 as posted on the districtgov.org web site
Members
Ron Ruggeri Vice Chairman (District 7)
Steve Printz Committee Member (District 9)
Chuck Wildzunas Committee Member (District 5)
Staff
Sam Wartinbee District Property Management Director

The following from the minutes :

“Vice Chairman Ruggeri stated with the amount of time it took to cut the trees down, someone that lives in that area had to have seen something, and maybe in this specific instance, the Project Wide Fund does not need to pay the costs.

PWAC - Meeting Minutes
March 2, 2015
Page 10

Supervisor Printz stated he understands Vice Chairman Ruggeri’s sentiment; however, this issue needs to be remedied under the current process so everyone can move beyond it. Possibly in the future the Committee can review if there is some other governance process that can be amended to address these types of instances.

Supervisor Wildzunas stated he has discussed the issue with the SCSO and has been advised that the SCSO is very proactively investigating the issue.

Mr. Wartinbee stated damage to conservation areas has occurred two (2) other times but the homeowners who had the maintenance completed in the conservation area admitted that they had done so and paid for the remediation.”

The minutes from the April 5 meeting have not as yet been posted!

[NYGUY]

Originally Posted by twoplanekid

Supervisor Printz stated he understands Vice Chairman Ruggeri’s sentiment; however, this issue needs to be remedied under the current process so everyone can move beyond it. Possibly in the future the Committee can review if there is some other governance process that can be amended to address these types of instances.

Supervisor Printz sounds like a pacifist....things become clearer!!

[Topspinmo]

Not to worry! The Money will probably come out of the general slush fund. $191,400,000.00 annually plenty of cash to go around. how did I get to that number? 145 x 110,000 = 15,950,000 times 12 = 191,400,000.00. That way it fair we all get to pay for it. I heard on here it also pays for lawyers.

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Not to worry! The Money will probably come out of the general slush fund. $191,400,000.00 annually plenty of cash to go around. how did I get to that number? 145 x 110,000 = 15,950,000 times 12 = 191,400,000.00. That way it fair we all get to pay for it. I heard on here it also pays for lawyers.

First of all, there are 110,000 residents, not 110,000 homes in The Villages. Secondly, only the homes south of CR466 are paying for the damage. So deduct the number of homes north of 466 from the total of homes in TV for a more accurate figure.

[tuccillo]

I am not an attorney (all of my knowledge of the law comes from "Law and Order" reruns) but I am pretty sure those property owners cannot be compelled to talk to anyone. Apparently there is no evidence against anyone. Like it not, our system protects both the guilty and the innocent.

Originally Posted by Bonanza

Gracie -- I know you can't make these four residences pay for the fine and new plantings. But I still think to depose these owners is a good idea.

I just wonder how it's "determined" who pays in some of these instances? What is the deciding factor? Just like residents south of 466 have to pay for the erosion under the bridge, as though no one north of the bridge or non residents don't use the bridge. In my mind, that is stupidity at its finest!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Not to worry! The Money will probably come out of the general slush fund. $191,400,000.00 annually plenty of cash to go around. how did I get to that number? 145 x 110,000 = 15,950,000 times 12 = 191,400,000.00. That way it fair we all get to pay for it. I heard on here it also pays for lawyers.

But what else can be done? You can't go further in arresting someone without proof. We could beat them up, a bunch of us. I think we would all end up in jail.

If back where you lived, someone vandalized the public library or they ran their car through the plantings in the middle of the street, (if you had them) and wasn't seen or caught, it would come out of the public's pocket to repair it. I don't see the difference. It was wrong, and we all pay. That is how it is in this country. We pay when someone on welfare abuses the system.

I don't know what a slush fund is, but I do know that in our family we were taught to not live hand to mouth or from pay check to paycheck, but to save for an unforeseen disaster. That way you can take care of nasty surprises when they come that are not insured. This bill, which was not caused by all of us, still has to be paid.

[dolpterry]

The next big story will be about the trees cut down on lake Deaton.

[twoplanekid]

I live in Lake Deaton and I no nothing about that.

[superbat1]

There is 55,000 homes not 110,000 so cut your amount in half.

[Mleeja]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Not to worry! The Money will probably come out of the general slush fund. $191,400,000.00 annually plenty of cash to go around. how did I get to that number? 145 x 110,000 = 15,950,000 times 12 = 191,400,000.00. That way it fair we all get to pay for it. I heard on here it also pays for lawyers.

Your math is corect, but your assumption is flawed. The amenity fee is per household. It would be roughtly 50%, probably more like 60% of the total quoted. Still a big chunk of change. However, this money is used for maintaining the common areas, not just some big pile of cash. If you want to know where it goes, checkout the meeting minutes from the CDDs or the ACC. There is always a finiacial statement. Then you will not need to make wild claims and assumptions.

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by dolpterry

The next big story will be about the trees cut down on lake Deaton.

This is what happens when one resident or group of residents gets away with something, then others are sure to follow.

[ricthemic]

Originally Posted by VT2TV

Personally, I think this whole thing stinks. You can't possibly tell me they are our of leads, and they are just quitting. I happen to be in the lucky districts who have been selected to pay for the trees I have never seen, in an area where I don't know anybody, but we are also in the district that has been selected to help pay for the island having problems that is under the bridge on Morse coming into Lake Sumter. Since most people who live in the Villages has probably crossed that bridge as many or more times than the people in the Districts chosen to pay for the repair cost, I don't understand how they decided who would have to pay. I think if any Villagers have to pay for these 2 costs, then all Villagers should have to pay for both. I realize that spread out, it might not seem a problem to some, but it is just the priniciple of the thing. The first issue should not have to be paid by the residents for the actions of a few. I agree with the poster who said that the Villages/? should make the 4 residents pay for the trees. When one of them thinks they are going to have to pay out big money, it might not be so important to keep a pact. Then, I certainly think that the bridge/island issue should be spread out amonst all the residents. There are plenty of people who may not have lived here a month that are going to have to pay, and then those who have lived here for years and have used the bridge maybe daily, who don't have to pay. Just doesn't seem right. This is my opinion. Just for curosity, if anyone responds negativly to this post, please also share if you live above or below 466.

Have not read all the post on this subject.
Hypothetically, what would Sumter County and Ms Tutt have said if in the same area one morning last November a body was found? "Well we asked everyone and no one knows anything"

[virgind]

I drove past that area on Lake Miona and that is right across the street from the rec center and no one saw any thing I really find that hard to believe. I think a farther investigation needs to be done but would the sheriffs dept do it.