HIGHLAND CITY, Fla. – A driver tore through a retention pond in Highland City on Monday around 6:30 p.m., leaving residents in a local neighborhood facing costly repairs for repeated property damage.
Highland City pond property damage
What we know:
A neighbor recorded cellphone video of a pickup truck driver doing donuts in a retention pond in the Falcon’s Landing neighborhood in Highland City. The vehicle tore up the grass, left deep muddy tracks, and threw mud directly onto the surrounding fence.
Falcon’s Landing HOA President Jeff Beaman noted that the same driver has done this at least three times within the past several weeks.
“This isn’t a mud pit. This is somebody’s neighborhood. People live here, and people are going to drive by, see this, and wonder what happened,” Beaman said.
Residents are left footing the bill for the repairs, though they are still trying to calculate the total estimated cost.
“There is physical damage, but I was told that it’s just grass,” Beaman said. “It’s property damage, plain and simple, and to me, it’s a crime.”
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Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigation
What we don’t know:
Deputies have not determined who was behind the wheel during the incident, because the vehicle owner denied driving the truck. Since law enforcement cannot prove who was driving, deputies cannot make an arrest.
Neighborhood trespassing sign rules
The backstory:
FOX 13 contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, where a spokesperson said the act would be classified as criminal mischief. However, deputies explained that a single no-trespassing sign in front of the pond is legally powerless to prevent unauthorized vehicles.
“The sheriff says it doesn’t mean anything, because it doesn’t meet the statute of what’s needed. You need four trespassing signs, one at each corner of the property,” Beaman said.
Highland City HOA security plans
What’s next:
To address the ongoing issue, Beaman is working on installing additional trespassing signs alongside a decorative fence to keep vehicles out. He stated that residents simply want to live in peace and protect their community investment.
“We want to keep the neighborhood looking nice for everybody here, keep our property values up, and keep it from being rundown,” Beaman said.
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