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Article and Video Courtesy of
MY FOX Channel 13, TAMPA
By
Peter Linton-Smith
Published March 6, 2009
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 Watch
VIDEO
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HUDSON
- A long drought and several bouts of freezing weather killed Linda
Carey's lawn, and her homeowners' association is none to happy about the
large patch of dirt and weeds.
It sent Carey a warning letter.
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"I have to put new sod down by March
15th or they'll take further legal action against me,"
she said.
Carey is not alone: the Beacon Woods
Civic Association sent warning letters to 168 homeowners
warning them they are in violation of a deed restriction
requiring a green lawn.
"It's stressful, it's not
good," she said.
In addition to the warning letter, the
March issue of the homeowners' association news letter also
warns "if you have not yet made |
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arrangements
for purchase and or delivery of sod we encourage you to do so now."
Residents say water restrictions make the
complying with the demands a nearly impossible task.\
"With water restrictions being what
they are, the weather, it's gotten awfully cold, it seems kind of
foolish," homeowner David Epperson says of the warning letters.
Beacon Woods says it may reconsider the
green lawn deed restriction.
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"We plan on taking up this issue of
landscaping in terms of the drought," HOA president Tom Pohl
said. "We plan on taking a close look at this issue."
But Beacon Woods has a history of
taking brown lawns very seriously. Joe Purdente spent a weekend in
jail after he defied a court order that he plant new sod to replace
his brown grass.
"I don't know what they're making everybody resod?"
Purdente said.
For
now, his donated lawn is brown, but he hasn't been served with a
warning letter. |
"I
water when I'm allowed," Purdente said.
Because of the long drought, the Southwest
Florida Water Management District may help home owners being challenged by
their associations over brown lawns.
"If they send us their violation
notices, we'll contact the association," said the district's Robyn
Felix.
For
now, Linda Carey says she can't afford a long legal fight with the Beacon
Woods Civic Association, or a new lawn.
Man
jailed for brown grass freed
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