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'Mayor' gets complaints his lawn is not up to par
By SUSAN THURSTON © St. Petersburg Times, published October 1, 2000 PEBBLE CREEK -- The persistent drought has taken its toll on thirsty lawns. Brown spots and bugs plague many yards, frustrating homeowners who already break a sweat trying to keep them green and healthy. But for some people in deed-restricted communities, the dry spell means more than extra work. It means trouble. Just ask George Faugl. Faugl is among dozens of Pebble Creek residents who received letters from the homeowners' association this month saying their lawns violate the subdivision's maintenance rules. The notices gave them 10 days to fix the problems. The letter came as a shock to Faugl, head of the New Tampa Community Council, whom neighbors jokingly call the "mayor." Sure, his yard isn't perfect, but neither is anyone else's. "I'm not saying it's weed-free, but compared to 95 percent of the yards it's weed-free," he said. Faugl can't understand why the association would target his lawn on Fox Chapel Road. Neither can some of his neighbors. "He's meticulous about everything he does," said Joel Poiley, who takes lawn tips from Faugl and often borrows his equipment. "He always has one of the best lawns on the street." A lawyer by profession, Faugl cuts, fertilizes and feeds his lawn himself. He enjoys the work and doesn't trust anyone -- including his son -- to get it just right. He even uses scissors to cut the blades he missed with the mower. So when the homeowners' group began sending him notices a few months ago, he thought it must have made a mistake. "I read it and thought somebody's got the wrong address," he said. Apparently not. The letters kept coming. When the third arrived Sept. 11, Faugl got fed up and fired off a note saying he was dealing with the weeds and certainly would not put in new sod as was suggested. He also took his own dig at the association. "Just for the record, you should really consider correcting the deplorable, dead and weed-infested condition of the common areas before you cast a stone," he wrote. "Pebble Creek is by far the worst looking subdivision in New Tampa, and an embarrassment to the residents." Association officials say the notices are necessary to protect property values. About 150 letters went out for August, representing just under 15 percent of the homes. Monitors patrol the streets monthly, reporting violations to the Deed Restriction Committee. "A lot of people say they have a beautiful, green grass but you go out there and it's all crab grass," said Vickie Garcia, treasurer of the Pebble Creek Homeowners' Association who oversees the committee. She said she didn't know Faugl or his situation, but defended the letters. In most cases, they prompt people to comply. "If he's getting notices about his lawn, then his lawn is not up to par," said Garcia, who lives five houses from Faugl. She noted that many people from outside Florida aren't familiar with local grasses and can't distinguish the weeds. Faugl is from Philadelphia. Although he supports the deed restrictions, Faugl said they must be enforced uniformly. During watering limits, the association should try to help residents with their yards, not slap them with violations, he said. "We need a zero tolerance for violence in schools. We need a zero tolerance for DUIs, but do we need a zero tolerance during a drought?" Faugl said. City water officials agree and urge associations to cut homeowners some slack. "It's much more important that we have water at the tap when we go to take a drink than everyone having perfect yards," said India Williams, consumer affairs manager for Tampa's water department. Water regulators imposed tight watering restrictions in March because of below-average rainfall. Many lawns died over the summer. The rain eventually came, but it hasn't been enough to replenish the rivers and lakes. Last week, the Southwest Florida Water Management District announced once-a-week watering rules are here to stay and could get tighter. Homeowners shouldn't blame the drought for their lawn woes, Garcia said. Her yard looks better than it ever has. "If your grass is healthy, one day of watering is sufficient," she said. Faugl suspects the association made an issue of his yard because it assumed he would act quickly as leader of the New Tampa council. The civic group strives to improve the aesthetics of the area and promote businesses. "They thought I wouldn't fight it because I represent communities across New Tampa," he said. Faugl left a message with the association after getting the last letter, but no one has called back, he said. He hopes he won't get another notice. In the last few weeks, between 60 and 80 people have called to complain about their notices, said Marc DeHainaut, deed restrictions chairman. Others have sent nasty notes. Based on the monitors' reports, he bets most of the complaints are warranted. "Some of the houses out in Pebble Creek have gotten so deplorable it's absolutely ridiculous," he said. "You're supposed to keep everything up to a certain standard." DeHainaut didn't know the status of Faugl's violations, but said if his yard has weeds, he'll probably get more letters. If he doesn't fix it, the case could go to an attorney. Faugl cringes at the thought. "Nobody wants a bad looking lawn," he said. "Everybody tries to take care of it. I thought . . . they would have some tolerance." - Susan Thurston can be reached at (813) 226-3463 or thurston@sptimes.com.
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