When Becky and James Turner retired to Parkview at Lakeshore six years ago, they envisioned a serene lifestyle in a welcoming community, hoping it would serve as a future home for their children and grandchildren. However, escalating fees and poor management have soured their experience. Annual community fees surged from $2,800 in 2021 to an alarming $4,650 in 2023, placing immense financial strain on the Turners, who live on a fixed income. This increase necessitated the sale of their second car and forced them to tightly monitor their grocery budgets, resulting in fewer visits to their family. Despite paying higher fees, the community amenities have fallen into disrepair, leaving the Turners and their neighbors deeply concerned about the future of their homes and the surrounding environment.
Parkview, established in 2005 within an unincorporated area of Osceola County, operates under a community development district (CDD) aimed at maintaining the quality of life in the neighborhood through fees included in property tax bills. Ideally, these fees would facilitate the upkeep of shared amenities and community aesthetics. Contrary to these expectations, however, residents like the Turners express disillusionment as playgrounds, the community pool, and lawns continue to deteriorate. Becky Turner articulated her anxiety regarding leaving a rundown neighborhood to her descendants, highlighting how disheartening it is to witness the decline despite paying increasing fees meant for maintenance.
Frustrated residents have united to contest the actions of their governing board, advocating for the ousting of its majority. Conflicts have become prevalent; an incident at a recent homeowners association meeting escalated to such a degree that police intervention was required. Board chairman Victor Cruz dismissed residents’ dissatisfaction as a misunderstanding of how CDDs function, attributing the financial difficulties to previous boards. The power dynamics within Florida’s CDDs and homeowners associations (HOAs) often fuel such tensions, as explained by Andrea Anderson, a lawyer specializing in HOA and CDD law. These organizations wield significant authority to enforce regulations and manage community resources, however, the overlap between the CDD and HOA in Parkview may exacerbate the challenges residents face in navigating local governance.
Details emerged about Parkview’s financial management, with Cruz reporting a total debt of $6.3 million, mostly directed toward infrastructure maintenance and improvements. Despite these claims, residents have grown skeptical about the allocation of funds, indicating they feel ignored when requesting transparency and audits. Amid this atmosphere of mistrust, petitions were filed to recall Cruz along with Vice Chair Badia Strachan and Secretary Cesar Goyetche, collecting 153 signatures in a bid to hold board members accountable. Accusations have arisen suggesting that these officials have failed to pay their own CDD fees, a claim which Cruz has denied.
The property management firm Avid, contracted to manage Parkview, has also raised red flags about the community’s financial audits. Avid representatives reported discrepancies in the financial figures submitted by the board and expressed concerns regarding a lack of communication about maintenance contracts. Reflecting on the situation, Avid’s community manager, Avelino Vide, mentioned that while he felt uncomfortable discontinuing their contract, the issues at Parkview were unusually alarming, indicating a potential need for new oversight and management strategies to stabilize the community.
Living conditions within Parkview present a stark contrast to the residents’ expectations, with visible signs of neglect such as broken mailboxes, pothole-riddled roads, and litter-strewn vacant lots. The inadequacies extend to community amenities, which feature damaged equipment and abandoned projects, like an incomplete community dock. Leading the charge for change, resident Tamika Harold has organized community efforts to recall board members and highlighted how her own fees have also significantly increased. With the prospect of criminal accountability for board members being discussed, the community feels a deep sense of betrayal regarding the future of their once-cherished neighborhood. As the recall process unfolds, residents maintain hope for a transformative change that can restore their community’s value and promise.