Neighbors are fed up with hoarding at a house in The Villages.
Residents of Blythewood Loop in the Village of Sunset Pointe made their fears and frustrations known during a public hearing Friday morning at the Community Development District 5 Board of Supervisors meeting at SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
“The deed compliance issues have gone on for years. I’ve tried to help them, I have tried to encourage them,” said John Onofrey, who lives directly across the street from the problem home located at 1889 Blythewood Loop.
The home has a long history of deed compliance violations and the owners owe more than $25,000 in fines, primarily for torn and missing lanai screens.
Barbara Packard and her late husband bought the home in 2005 for $238,500 and were its original owners. Charles Packard died in 2007 at age 58. She is living in the home with her son, Jeff, who testified in 2021 during a public hearing about the deed compliance violation. Jeff Packard, who was arrested in 2016 when he was found driving with two blown-out tires near Lake Sumter Landing, pledged that he would work on the problem. It never got fixed.
Onofrey said the son has been playing a cat-and-mouse game and tries to pick up some of the junk in the driveway and hide it if he believes Community Standards will be paying a visit. Once the white Community Standards truck leaves the neighborhood, the junk spills back out onto the driveway.
“The garage is wall-to-wall full of garbage,” Onofrey said. “I have seen rats running across the driveway.”
Onofrey suggested that the son’s hoarding is actually a money-making enterprise.
He claimed Jeff Packard travels around The Villages on “garbage night” and collects potentially valuable items for resale.
“He gets rid of some of it, then brings in new inventory. It’s constant turnover,” Onofrey said.
The residents were encouraged to contact the Sumter County Health Department regarding health concerns at the Packards’ property. They were also told to contact their county commissioners to make them aware of the situation.
The board gave the Packards five days to clean up the debris and three days to remove trellises that were placed on the property without approval. If the items are not removed, fines will be imposed.
A lien will be placed on the property next week, said Director of Resident Services Matt Armstrong.
