A mediator has declared an impasse after a failed bargaining session in a battle over a little white cross in The Villages.
Julie O’Kane of O’Kane Mediation & Arbitration LLC of Orlando has filed a document with the court indicating Tuesday’s mediation session was held but, “The parties reached an impasse.”
Wayne and Bonnie Anderson of the Village of Tamarind Grove have been fighting for nearly four years to keep their little white cross. However, the Community Development District 8 Board of Supervisors maintains it is a lawn ornament and it must be removed.
The case dates back to 2019 when Wayne Anderson appeared before the CDD 8 board questioning why he had been singled out, when many of his neighbors also had little white crosses and were not ordered to remove their crosses. The Andersons were targeted by an anonymous complaint and contend they are the victims of “selective enforcement.”
A trial date has been set for Aug. 14 in Sumter County Court.
The Andersons are facing thousands of dollars in deed compliance fines and CDD 8 has consistently remained mum on the legal tab it has accumulated in its war with the Andersons.
Since the Andersons’ case began, the anonymous complaint policy has been under siege. Community Development Districts 2 and 5 are no longer accepting anonymous complaints. Residents are pressuring other CDDs to follow suit.
