To the Editor:
In response to your article in the Villages-News.com on February 28, 2019 titled “Neighbor shows up to protest ‘violations’ in Village of Duval.” Miss Linda Lane residing at 2335 Ridgeway Ct, has made false and misleading statements when she appeared before the Architectural Review Committee (ARC).
In your article you stated that Miss Lane “claimed that she tried to stop the work.” That is categorically false. Not once were we approached asking us to stop work. We did receive notice delivered by a Villages representative to our front door stating that we needed to get approval from the ARC for any changes that we wanted to do. The first we knew that we had to get permission to do work in our back yard.
We moved in this home in June and in July we had extensive construction start to enclose our lanai, replace our air conditioner, and refresh the existing landscaping. This work is still ongoing and is not completed as of today. Yes, Miss Lane has attempted to stop work being done at our house by blocking workers from walking on her driveway (the only way into our backyard) by placing her car in the driveway to block workers access to our back yard and even pulled her golf cart out and parked it in front of the right-of-way to further hinder the workers ingress and egress to our backyard. This has occurred since construction started in July of last year. However, Miss Lane never directly or indirectly said anything to us regarding any work as she claimed before the ARC.
If we were aware that people were allowed to be represented at the ARC representing either side, we would have been at the ARC meeting to make sure that the true story was told and not the spin of false statements as told by Miss Lane.
We did in fact have work done without being approved by the ARC, not because we were trying to hide it, but because we did not know that work being done in our enclosed backyard required ARC approval. Once we learned this via notification from The Villages, we did submit, albeit retroactively, an application to the ARC.
The changes significantly increase the value of this property thereby increasing the value of the neighboring residences.
The landscaping improvements were not changes, but simply replacing old landscaping stone with a similar product in a different color. It is the same height as the previous landscaping. The red lava rock that had blackened through the years was replaced with clean brown river rock. Again, improving the street appeal of this residence. Something, I would think that Miss Lane would be happy for.
As for the cement, our contractor stopped water from pooling along the foundation of Miss Lane’s residence at 2335 Ridgeway Ct. At the recommendation of a landscaper and cement company, we raised our concrete patio 3 inches and installed a linear drain to re-direct the previously pooling water to our yard and garden.
Each of our contractors, permitted builders, handyman, landscapers, plumbers, and electricians have informed us they were confronted by Miss Lane complaining that she is “allergic to dust, doesn’t want them parking near her driveway, walking in her driveway to gain access to our backyard, etc.” When we replaced our old A/C unit, Miss Lane even chastised our repairmen for laying a rubber hose on “our” shrubbery (inside our back gate). We have tried to be a good neighbor, even going so far as to give her a gift card for a significant amount to Publix with a note thanking her for her patience during our reconstruction. Not only has she not acknowledged the gift card but has continued to confront workers coming into our backyard.
Miss Lane made it clear that she is angry and has told contractors that “she is going to get us fined.” Makes it hard to turn the other cheek.
Welcome to the Friendliest Neighborhood in America!
Mark Corner and Mary Jo Overland
Village of Duval