A snowbird couple from New York has run afoul of rules in The Villages.
Michael and Christine Hourigan, of Syracuse, N.Y., purchased the home at 1052 Berg Court in the Seneca Villas in the Village of Hemingway in 2008.
Community Standards received a complaint last April about a second courtyard gate and pavers which had been installed without approval from the Architectural Review Committee. In May, Community Standards received a letter from the Hourigans explaining they installed the pavers “for ease of maintenance” and the second gate was put in “for privacy for their hot tub.” It is unclear whether the hot tub was ever installed.
The couple retroactively applied for approval from the ARC, but were denied. The couple then informed Community Standards they would undo what had been done when they returned in November. But on Nov. 5, the Hourigans contacted Community Standards and said they would not be returning to The Villages until January.
The Hourigans reported on Jan. 22 they had a “family emergency” and would not be able to complete the work until this fall.
The Hourigans’ illicit improvements to their courtyard villas were the subject of a public hearing Thursday morning before the Community Development District 7 Board of Supervisors. The board learned that the second gate has been removed, but the pavers, which are behind the original gate, remain. The pavers run right up to a neighbor’s wall.
The couple has been given 60 days to bring the property into compliance. If they fail to do so, they will be fined $150 and then fined an additional $50 per day that the property remains out of compliance. If the fines reach $1,500, the matter will be turned over to District counsel.
