Report Courtesy of
NBC
CHANNEL 2
Reporter Kate Eckman
Published April 30, 2009
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FORT
MYERS: Some Fort Myers homeowners are battling
their homeowners' association over vehicles that were booted
on the owner's property.
Rebecca
Krueger is not a happy homeowner. When she tried to leave
for work Tuesday morning, she noticed a boot was on her
truck, which was parked in her own driveway.
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"I'm
irate. I'm absolutely irate and I'm disgusted," Krueger said. "I
can put my hand under it. It's not even actually on the grass."
The security company, Whitestone Group, at
Cypress Landings, said her truck was given a boot because it was not
parked on a hard surface.
But the tire was really only an inch off
the driveway. And Krueger owns that inch.
Now, it will cost Krueger $200 to remove
the boot.
"I went
and got the association manager, brought him down here to
look at it. He said he didn't think it was excessive, and
that they boot at least one vehicle a night because they
need to make up for the deficiency in funds from all the
people that haven't paid their dues," Krueger said.
"It's ridiculous.
They've been doing it to a bunch of people," neighbor
Mike Proffitt said. |
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We tracked down the homeowner's
association, who referred us to their attorney.
The attorney said vehicles parked on the
grass are booted to prevent costly landscaping and sprinkler damages.
"I could understand and I would want
them to boot it if I was parked over here - parked up on the grass,"
said Krueger.
But she says the proof is in the pictures
and pointed out that her truck tire was barely touching grass.
"In this particular case, we are
planning to meet with the towing company and I will be contacting the
homeowner and I will be inviting her in to have a meeting and we will
discuss the particulars of this situation," said HOA attorney Chene
Thompson.
Thompson added that the homeowner's
association always has the homeowner's best interest at heart.
But Krueger said, "That's not looking
after the homeowner's interest."
Krueger
and her neighbors say they're all for having a beautiful lawn, but they
also want to be able to live - especially on their own property.
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