A couple in The Villages could face $500 daily fines if a lighthouse lawn ornament is put back on display at their home.
The home owned by Joseph and Lauree Aragona at 3297 Abana Place was the subject of a public hearing Thursday afternoon in front of the Community Development District 9 Board of Supervisors at the SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
The Aragonas bought the home in February 2021 for $368,000. They celebrated their 55th anniversary in January. He said his wife had a “bad fall” and now suffers from memory issues.
The couple is from New York, but lived many years in California, where Lauree Aragona was elected as mayor of their town.
Her grandfather had been a lighthouse keeper and in his honor the Aragonas had an Amish-built lighthouse on display at their home in the Golden State. They had the lighthouse, as well as other lawn ornaments, on display at their home in The Villages.
A complaint about the couple’s yard ornaments was received Sept. 24. The yard ornaments were removed, but the lighthouse was later put back on display for “three days for their guests, but they were aware it was a violation,” according to testimony presented at the public hearing.
Joseph Aragona estimated that 10 percent of the more than 130,000 homes in The Villages have lawn ornaments. He said that adds up to 13,000 lawn ornaments. He questioned why they had to remove their lighthouse when other lawn ornaments in their neighborhood remain on display.
Because the lighthouse was on display, removed, and put back out, it will now be considered a “re-occurring violation.” They will face a $500 fine if any of the lawn ornaments is put back on display. They will also face a $500 daily fine until the ornaments are removed.
