Mickey Mouse lawn irks Yulee homeowners association

Article + Video Courtesy of Channel 25 First Coast News

By Ken Amaro

Published August 28, 2015

Watch VIDEO

  

When you move into a deed-restricted community, you must comply with the homeowners association's rules. But sometimes those rules seem a little cartoonish.

In 2010, Rachael Dennis, a huge Disney fan, moved into the Timber Creek subdivision.

   

"[Disney] is all over my house,' she said. "Someday I'll work there."

It's all over her home and now in her landscape.

"It is just something we like, it is happy," said Dennis.

But happy is not the word she uses to describe her relationship with her HOA. She says she's living under its microscope.

  
"It kind of stinks, you come home and you feel like you're walking on glass," she said.

Since living in Timber Creek, she has been cited for weeds, a broken mailbox and the location of her garbage cans -- and now even Mickey Mouse.
   

The violations have been corrected and citations dismissed, except for Mickey.

"I don't know why they have something wrong with what I put in my yard,' said Dennis.

Property manager of her HOA is Katherine Morrison.

"Her house was not built with Mickey Mouse in the yard and that is a change," said Morrison.

 

Morrison said all changes must be approved by the Architectural Review Board. She said Dennis did not apply for a change before putting Mickey in the yard and when she did apply, after the fact, it was denied.

"It was denied because It does not keep with the character of the neighborhood," said Morrison.

The HOA has given Dennis an option; she can remove it or modify it.

"I can have circles," said Dennis, "but I have to remove the ears."

Dennis plans to appeal, but in the end said she will remove the ears to keep the peace.

"I don't want to lose my house," said Dennis.

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