Some HOA Humor from Florida’s Jan Bergemann

FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING?
HAVING FUN?

 

Opinion By Jan BergemannPublished March 1, 2015
All over Florida we see lawsuits popping up against owners who use the laws established in  2009 by the Florida Legislature [FS 720.3075 (4)(a) and FS 373.185] to change their landscaping to preserve water and avoid heavy fertilizing with dangerous chemicals. There was reason this law passed — and the folks insisting that the original rules of the community have to be obeyed by should finally realize that Florida-Friendly Landscaping can look as well very pretty, sometimes a lot nicer than a boring green lawn.But since laws obviously haven’t changed their minds yet, maybe some humor will?Here it goes:

GOD and LAWN CARE

GOD to ST. FRANCIS:

Frank,  …  You know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet?  What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago?   I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.
St. FRANCIS:

It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers ‘weeds’ and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD:

Grass? But, it’s so boring. It’s not colorful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It’s sensitive to temperatures. Do theseSuburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS:

Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD:

The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST FRANCIS:

Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.
GOD:

They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:

Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD:

They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS:

No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD:

Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS:

Yes, Sir.
GOD:

These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS:

You aren’t going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD:

What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It’s a natural cycle of life. 

ST. FRANCIS:

You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD:

No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS:

After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD:

And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS:

They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD:

Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore.

St. Catherine, you’re in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE:

‘Dumb and Dumber’, Lord. It’s a story about….
GOD:

Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

 

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About

Ward Lucas is a longtime investigative journalist and television news anchor. He has won more than 70 national and regional awards for Excellence in Journalism, Creative Writing and community involvement. His new book, "Neighbors At War: the Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association," is now available for purchase. In it, he discusses the American homeowners association movement, from its racist origins, to its transformation into a lucrative money machine for the nation's legal industry. From scams to outright violence to foreclosures and neighborhood collapses across the country, the reader will find this book enormously compelling and a necessary read for every homeowner. Knowledge is self-defense. No homeowner contemplating life in an HOA should neglect reading this book. No HOA board officer should overlook this examination of the pitfalls in HOA management. And no lawyer representing either side in an HOA dispute should gloss over what homeowners are saying or believing about the lawsuit industry.

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