Overgrown weeds and a broken gutter have become a big issue at a residence in the Village of Country Club Hills.
The owners of the home, Lorraine and Paul Lionti, are deceased. And the property, located at 1625 Kiley Court in the Historic Side of The Villages, is in foreclosure with Novad Management Consulting.
Candy Dennis, of Community Standards, said the company claims to have submitted a work order to take care of the weeds and repair the gutter, but nothing has been done since the deed restriction complaint was first submitted more than two months ago.
Those issues led the Village Center Community Development District Board of Supervisors to find the owners in violation of deed compliance rules during Wednesday afternoon’s meeting at the District Office boardroom in Lake Sumter Landing. Dennis said she had been in contact with the Liontis’ son to try to get the issues resolved but he said his parents had a reverse mortgage and he is unable to take over responsibility for the property.
Dennis said Community Standards initially received the complaint about the Kiley Court property on Nov. 26. She said it was verified the following day and a deed restriction reminder was written.
Dennis said photographs were taken Nov. 29 and an initial letter was sent out. It was followed with a second letter Dec. 6. And a third letter with photographs was sent on Jan. 23, along with a notice of public hearing, she said, adding that photographs also were taken again on Monday, Feb. 4.
At Wednesday’s meeting, VCCDD supervisors unanimously agreed to find the owners in violation of deed compliance rules and give them five days to bring the property into compliance. If that happens, the case will be closed. If not, the District will take over maintaining the property and impose a $250 fine to be paid within 10 days of the invoice.
In addition, supervisors authorized the District to maintain the property twice a month in the summer and once a month in the winter, as needed. And the District received authorization to impose a $250 fine each time it has to maintain the property.
If the fines reach $1,500, the case will be turned over to District Counsel to “seek all available remedies,” which may include initiating a lawsuit, seeking an injunction against the owner and placing a lien on the property. But if the property transfers ownership as a result of the foreclosure or before the fines reach $1,500 and they have not been paid within one year of the transfer of ownership, the fines will be waived and the case will be closed.
