PASCO COUNTY — Fred Smith said he had to pay $4,500 after construction workers damaged his fence.
“They damaged something on just about everybody’s property,” he said.
His fence damage also left an opening for his dog, Buckley, to get loose. The reason, Smith said, is because the Crela Estates development going on next to his house in Shady Hills. It's affecting everyone on his street.
“The ongoing construction has damaged some property at a nearby elementary school and they don’t want to take any responsibility for it,” Smith said.
No one here seems more affected than Daphne Sais.
“Physically and emotionally, I’ve been put on depression medication and high blood pressure medication since this started,” Sais said.
The entrance to the construction site goes right by her house. She said she’s lost trees and is dealing with work going on at night.
“They have money and will be doing what they want,” Sais said.
ABC Action News' Eric Waxler talked to someone with Mas Development, the construction company working the area, and sent him a list concerns people had. Waxler is waiting to hear back.
In the meantime, people like Smith and Sais said the overall development in Shady Hills is too much. On top of that, more development is planned behind Crews Lake Middle School.
“I think they are building way too fast," Smith said. "They are not putting in the proper infrastructure to make sure the roads in the county can handle the amount of people that they are trying to put in here."
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
