LONGWOOD, Fla. — Your local homeowner’s association may have more clout than you think and a Seminole County lawsuit proved it. It turns out HOAs have the right to tell you what you can do inside your home to an extent.
More than five years ago, the Brantley Harbor HOA in Longwood decided to sue a homeowner over a gay pornographic webcam site being run out of the house she rented. The appellate court Thursday sided with the Brantley Harbor HOA.
The community’s attorney hopes it sends a clear message that when you live in a community with rules, you follow them.
College Boys Live was the name of the website. It featured live webcams showing the gay men who lived at the home, but the Brantley Harbor HOA argued in its years-long battle that the issue wasn’t the content of the site, but the fact that the business was being conducted out of a residential neighborhood where no businesses are allowed.
“They were surrounded by two-story homes, so we had a lot of children, 8, 9, 10, living in bedrooms that were restricted from looking out the windows,” said Mike Tower, former president of Brantley Harbor HOA.
The former owner of the property, Judith Crago, maintained then and now that she never knew there was any activity going on in the neighborhood that broke HOA rules. Eyewitness News spoke with her attorney Thursday, who said he will ask for a motion of rehearing based on the fact that a critical party, College Boys Live, was never part of the lawsuit.
Attorney Rick Nelson, who represents the HOA, is already counting the win.
“Hopefully it’ll send a message that we have to get along with our neighbors and hopefully live in peace,” Nelson said.
The home has long since been sold, but the attorney for the former owner of the property said he still has several days to file for the rehearing and will be doing just that.
Seminole County is home to at least 618 homeowner’s associations. The property appraiser’s office recounts them every few months. In Orange County, there are at least 1,001 homeowner’s and condo associations. All were strengthened by Thursday’s ruling.