Residents spoke out Friday on the future of the anonymous complaint system before the Community Development District 8 Board of Supervisors.
The oft-debated topic was raised again at the insistence of Rich Cardillo of the Bayport Villas.
Cardillo said the anonymous complaint system has spurred revenge complaints, troll activity, mistrust among neighbors and “neighbors going to war with each other.”
“This system has been abused and needs to be changed,” Cardillo said.
However, board members did not agree with Cardillo’s assessment of the situation.
”When all the residents bought a home, they signed a covenant. It limits what you can and cannot do to your property. You can’t plead ignorance and say you didn’t read it. We want to preserve The Villages the way it was shown to us when we bought,” said Supervisor Dennis Hayes.
Supervisor Sal Torname noted that statistics show that 88 percent of complainants prefer to remain anonymous.
Residents also stood up for the anonymous complaint system.
“I like the policy just the way it is. If people can find out who made the complaint against them there will be hard feelings. If I am in violation, I need to fix it. It doesn’t matter who made the complaint,” said Villager Kathy Villani.
Villager Marie Lazinkski said the system helps maintain property values and protects homeowners.
“Look at your deed restrictions before you do anything. This is the way we will keep this community beautiful. If my neighbor does something like put in a six-foot fountain, there is a way to address it,” she said.
