The 4-foot by 4-foot patch of grass right at the end of Kevin Sabata’s driveway has been a constant thorn in his side. It’s bordered on three sides by concrete or asphalt. There’s hardly any shade because the trees in his Wildwood Ridge subdivision are little more than saplings. Despite all his efforts, Keven just couldn’t get the grass to grow.
"It just was not coming back," he said.
Before long, fines started coming in from the Wildwood Ridge Homeowners Association. So, in April of 2017, he sent a request the HOA seeking permission to change the landscaping and replace the dead grass with rocks. Months went by without a decision and Kevin got tired of waiting.
"I took a command decision on myself, and I said I’m tired of this grass and I’m putting in the mulch and I’m putting in the rocks because previous to this, I was getting fined for the same issue."
The HOA board took notice and then denied his request.
"I only got one notice from them after I pleaded my case at the HOA Board hearing in the variance and then after that, I paid the $25 fine and after that nothing was said."
That was in October. The next message arrived last month from the HOA’s attorney. The board sued Kevin and ordered him to put the grass back.
"They want consistency they want green grass," he explained.
If you spend any time walking around Wildwood Ridge, you’ll find that consistent look isn’t so consistent. Several homeowners have replaced similar sized grass patches with rocks. In fact, one of the HOA board members has completely xeriscaped his yard.
"I’m fed up with this HOA!"
Tonight on News 5 at 10:00, Kevin will share his frustration in a special report. We’ll also tell you what the HOA had to say about this ordeal and how Kevin ultimately resolved the issue.
