Landscaping Drama in Orlando: The Great Rock Debate

A report was recently aired involving a minor disagreement between the homeowner and the community association by FOX 35 News Orlando. Stories like these, which may become linked to the name of the community in search engines, are usually offered based on the owners’ tips. They can experience the excitement of complaining to their association on their local TV newscast or in their local newspaper, but the cost is very damaging to their property value as well as to the other property owners in the community.

The Heinsens’ Dispute over Landscaping Rock

The recent report covers a couple, Jose and Demeris Heinsen, from Orlando’s Avalon Park neighborhood, who spent $10,000 on white rocks for landscaping around their house. Now, they find themselves in conflict with the homeowners’ association, which issued a letter demanding the stones be removed within two weeks. In response, the couple decided to bring public attention to their situation by selling their story to their favorite local television station, as they anticipate the International Court will issue its verdict on the matter.

The Heinsens tell the reporter that they plan to attend the board of directors meeting and present their stand on the matter. “I could understand if the rocks were lime green and we had glow-in-the-dark lights and it just looked silly like a Halloween decoration,” Jose replies. “Well I could understand that, you know? But come on.”

However, the couple’s landscaping looks as neat and tasteful as it can get, with large landscaping rocks for sale near me enhancing the overall design, but the association is not claiming otherwise. The report indicates that the Heinsens did not follow the laid rules of the Avalon Park association, which require owners to seek permission before undertaking such landscaping changes.

Association Rules and Regulations

The community’s bylaws and restrictions explicitly state that “white rock is not permitted,” and the management company notes in a written statement to the station: “It is well established that Avalon Park was developed with traditional design principles that take into account the regional perspective.” The association only informed the Heinsens of the fact that such white rocks are particularly prohibited in the covenants of the community and presumably would have informed the Heinsens of the same had they presented their landscaping plan to the association as was required. However, large landscaping rocks for sale near me in other colors are suitable, and the association could talk to the homeowners about the landscaping plan. The story concludes with the possibility that the fight over the rocks could head to the courts.

Potential Court Battle

The Heinsens will, of course, bring their concerns to the next board meeting of their community, and perhaps they hope that the media and a repetition of the follow-up report on the outcome of the dispute will apply the pressure. However, assuming that the association has been consistently and fairly in enforcing this prohibition against such white rocks in the past, it has no logical reason to grant them an exemption post-factum.

Association’s Swift Action

My view: However, from the statement and information provided by the association and its management company, the tendency of the report to be another dramatic story of rule enforcement was effectively balanced. In the association documents, the written rule of not using white rocks is provided, and the written statement of such rules alongside the rationales is provided, such as the compatibility of the landscape of the area with the rules provided.

In situations like this, where it is clear that the owner has violated the rules of the association, it is much simpler and beneficial to have the community attorney and/or the management replies to the reporter in writing and detail. The journalist will surely include it in their report, making it much more balanced. That the association and the management company released this statement along with the background information is a perfect example other associations can use when dealing with such attention from the media. This highlights the benefits of hiring in-house counsel, as they can effectively manage communication and protect the community’s interests. Questioning is also another way of getting information, though it can fail if the report contains content that is shameful to the community.

Long-Lasting Community Impact

As for my personal opinion, after the association’s response, it boiled down to a story that did not paint too bad a picture of the community but is yet another article on the potential overreach of associations that will likely find a home online forever. One gets the impression that once some of the owners find themselves in a dispute with the association, they immediately call the media; no matter if they know that the result will be a publication that paints the community in a bad light. They get to hear their local news complaining about how bad their association is with their properties on the evening news or in the local newspapers, but what they are doing to their property value and that of their neighbours can be disastrous and long-term.

Searching for Large Landscaping Rocks for Sale near Me

For those who wish to enhance the landscaping of territories with approved material, a plethora of options are available in the search for large landscaping rocks for sale near me. In other words, when selecting the type of rocks to be used in the renovation, homeowners will not have to worry about conflicts and can create the aesthetic and legal landscape.

Therefore, it is possible to recognize the Heinsens’ case as rather peculiar, but it describes the common issue of homeowners’ associations and their inhabitants. Such disagreements may though be prevented by proper communication and adherence to community standards in matters concerning the aesthetics of the neighbourhood and property worth. Those who want to get better landscaping should search for large landscaping rocks for sale near me to get more suitable rocks for the neighbourhood.