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Neighborhood threatens legal action over shed
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. FOX 13's Blake DeVine reports.
SARASOTA, Fla. - 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.
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.
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.
The Source: Information for this story came from statements from the Gulf Gate Community Association, interviews with Sarasota residents and previous reporting from FOX 13.