A Villager has vowed to put a little white cross back in his yard despite an earlier anonymous complaint.
Wayne Anderson, who lives at 2439 Ansley Path in the Village of Tamarind Grove, made the announcement at Friday’s meeting of the Community Development District 8 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Anderson, who in March made an appeal to the board after he was told to remove his little white cross and a parrot ornament from his yard, said his neighbors continue to have lawn ornaments, including little white crosses.
He said rules about lawn ornaments should be enforced evenly and across the board.
“Perhaps The Villages can send a notice telling Villagers to remove all ornaments,” Anderson said.
He said he is a victim of selective enforcement and discrimination.
“The rules are the rules. They apply to everyone. Enforce the rules,” Anderson told the board. “I am not going to be discriminated against. I am putting that cross back in my yard.”
The Villages’ anonymous complaint system provides that a lawn ornament can remain in place as long as no one complains. If someone complains, the homeowner with the yard ornament can expect the dreaded knock on the door from Community Standards.
Anderson’s neighbor, Mary Cusak, said the system is broken.
“It’s not working. There are thousands of lawn ornaments out there,” she said.
CDD 8 Supervisor Larry McMurry offered some sympathy.
“We have discussed this and thought about this at length. It’s not an ideal system. We don’t have a better one. I have been the victim of an anonymous complaint. It’s not fun. I will tell you it hurts,” McMurry said.
