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Article Courtesy of FOX 13
News Sarasota
By Blake DeVine
Published May 8, 2026
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WATCH VIDEO |
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SARASOTA - A Sarasota senior is being told to tear down a shed that’s been in
her backyard for nearly 40 years. The dispute involves the Gulf Gate Community
Association, which enforces deed restrictions in the neighborhood.
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What we know:
Barbara Wagner, 83, says she was caught off guard after
receiving letters this spring claiming the structure
violates those restrictions.
"This was from 1986. So why are you picking on me now?" she
said. "After all these years."
Wagner says the shed has been in her backyard for four
decades. Frequently used by her late husband, Robert, to
store lawn equipment.
"He had a riding lawnmower, so my husband had that in
there," she said.
An original receipt obtained by FOX 13 shows the shed was
purchased in 1986 for $637.38 from Culver Aluminum Products.
Wagner’s daughter, Sue Inman, says her family had never been
contacted about the shed until this spring.
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Sarasota resident Barbara Wagner has been ordered to
remove a shed that she's had in her backyard for four decades over
alleged deed violations.
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What they're saying:
"We’ve never gotten any notices about this shed and now all of a sudden, you
know, it’s a problem, and they’re threatening legal action," she said.
Inman says her mother, who is handicapped, first received a letter on March 6,
stating the shed violated deed restrictions and had to be removed within 10
days.
A second letter sent on April 22 warned that Wagner could face legal action if
it is not removed.
"Not only an inconvenience physically, but mentally and emotionally for her,"
Inman said. "Which that takes a toll on a widow."
For now, Wagner and her daughter have no plans to remove the shed.
The pair is even questioning the association’s authority. Wagner says she never
joined the organization and has never paid dues.
"I didn’t bother anybody," she concluded. "I can’t see where this shed is a
problem to anybody."
The other side:
FOX 13 reached out to the Gulf Gate Community Association. Although, GGCA
President Carlo Marsano couldn’t clarify why Wagner received multiple letters
stating that her backyard shed violated deed restrictions.
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