JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The front yard of one Ponte Vedra woman's home has been an eyesore for a while now, and it's only getting worse.
It's also challenging for people trying to get to her front door.
The woman who lives there didn't answered the door to comment about why she won't mow her lawn.
The woman's neighbors in the Walden Chase community are fed up.
"We bought houses here and knew that there was a homeowners association, and we had bylaws and things that we agree to," said Karen Weimer. "So when somebody comes in and totally disregards those rules and regulations, it affects all of us."
"It's irritating, especially when you invest in a neighborhood, and then you have something like that at the end of the street," resident Jon Clough said.
The homeowners association says, "St. Johns County has no code enforcement on this side of Ponte Vedra.
Because the covenants and restrictions don't allow us to enter a home and correct a violation, the owners of this property have infected the community with the deplorable condition of this home. Our hands are literally tied by the court system."
The HOA says the owner has filed 17 appeals for her right to keep a "Florida friendly landscape." The last court date was in June.
"The kids can't walk or ride on the sidewalk because it draws snakes, rats," Weimer said. "Of course, that affects the property values."
Neighbors say the woman still lives there and used to send her adult sons outside.
"They would suit up in decontamination suits or something, gloves, with hands taped up, and she'd make them pull weeds," Clough said. "I'd always joke around and say it's for punishment."
But they haven't gotten in enough trouble to pull out the lawn mower. And even after neighbors have repeatedly offered to cut it for her, it's been three years, and she still insists on letting it grow.
"We all have issues with homeowners associations, they'll get mad at us for parking on the street and stuff," Weimer said. "But when it all comes down to it, we all have to live together and work together to make our community here nice and nice to live in, so it wouldn't take a whole lot. Just mow the grass."