Overgrown grass and weeds have become a problem at a home in the Village of Silver Lake. And to make matters worse, the owners of the home seemingly have vanished from the community.
Those issues led the Village Center Community Development District Board of Supervisors to find the missing owners in violation of deed compliance rules during Wednesday afternoon’s meeting at the District Office boardroom in Lake Sumter Landing.
Candy Dennis, of Community Standards, said her office received the initial complaint on Sept. 19 about overgrown grass and weeds on the property, located at 1006 Karney Drive on the Historic Side of The Villages. She said a violation was verified the following day and a deed restriction reminder was written and sent. A second letter was sent Oct. 1. And a notice of public hearing was sent by certified and regular mail and the property was posted on Oct. 18.
Dennis said the home is vacant and the utilities have not been turned off, through they are delinquent. She added that all phone numbers – including an emergency contact – on file for the owners, Neil and Ileth Cameron, have been disconnected.
Mail has been sent to the property address that hasn’t been returned. And there doesn’t appear to be a mortgage on the home, Dennis said.
At Wednesday’s meeting, supervisors unanimously agreed to find the owners in violation of deed compliance rules and give them three days to bring the property into compliance. If that happens, the case will be closed. If not, the District will take over maintaining the property and impose a $250 fine to be paid within 10 days of the invoice.
In addition, supervisors authorized the District to maintain the property twice a month in the summer and once a month in the winter, as needed. And the District received authorization to impose a $250 fine each time it maintains the property.
If the fines reach $1,500, the case will be turned over to District Counsel to “seek all available remedies,” which may include initiating a lawsuit, seeking an injunction against the owner and placing a lien on the property.
