Joe Donzelli bought his Tamarac, Florida, home in February 2015 because it offered what he and his family wanted, including a pool, an enclosed patio and a view of the former Woodlands Country Club golf course.
asserted
he → buy → course
More than 11 years later, that backyard has become the centre of a property boundary dispute involving a developer building a new residential community on the former golf course.
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backyard → become → course
According to NBC 6, Donzelli said he received a letter from 13th Floor Homes last month saying the company had identified “potential encroachments in the vicinity of your property”.
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company → accord → property
The developer said the structures could “conflict with the approved site plan limits” for the new development.
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structures → say → development
According to Donzelli, an image attached to the letter showed a green line marking his property boundary and a red circle around parts of his enclosed patio and pool area.
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image → accord → area
He said he contacted the developer because he wanted clarification about whether parts of his backyard were actually on the developer’s land.
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parts → say → land
Donzelli said the initial response left him with little time to act.
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response → say → time
“They told me I had three days to remove my pool and anything that was in the company's property or the construction company would do it for me,” he said.
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he → tell → me
He later spoke to a company representative by phone, who told him that a surveyor would be sent to his home to check the property line.
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surveyor → speak → line
Donzelli said the three-day deadline was also waived, but he has not received another email or phone call about the survey.
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he → say → survey
Home was bought for pool and golf-course view
When Donzelli and his family bought the house in 2015, the property included the pool, enclosed patio and a view of the Woodlands Country Club golf course.
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property → buy → course
“We found this one, and just the stars aligned and we were able to make the deal happen,” Donzelli said.
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Donzelli → find → one
The area has since changed significantly.
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area → change → ?
The former golf course property is now being redeveloped by 13th Floor Homes as The Woodlands, a gated residential community with 335 single-family homes.
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property → redevelop → homes
Tamarac Talk reported in July 2024 that 13th Floor Homes had completed its $14 million purchase of 270 acres at 4600 Woodlands Boulevard.
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Homes → report → Boulevard
The company said the property would be redeveloped into a community with 335 homes.
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property → say → homes
Construction is now underway, with site preparation and earthwork taking place on the former golf course property.
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preparation → take → property
The development brought Donzelli's property boundary into question because of the company's identification of possible encroachments from neighbouring properties.
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development → bring → properties
Developer says surveys determine property boundaries
Donzelli said residents had previously been told that new construction would keep a buffer between the existing homes and the new development.
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construction → say → homes
“We were told that once the plans were agreed upon that new construction would be a minimum of 80 feet from existing property lines,” he said.
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he → tell → lines
13th Floor Homes had said that its land development work had started and that a land survey had identified cases where items or structures from neighbouring properties extended onto The Woodlands property.
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items → say → property
The developer said these structures were in conflict with legal property boundaries and approved development plans.
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structures → say → plans
It said it was working with neighbouring residents individually and asking for the removal of items or structures that encroach on The Woodlands property.
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that → say → property
“Property boundaries are established through a certified survey prepared using the property's deeded legal description and supporting title documentation, consistent with Broward County Property Appraiser records,” the developer said in its statement to NBC 6.
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developer → establish → NBC
The company also said it remained committed to working directly with Donzelli and offered to send a surveyor to his property.
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it → say → property
As of the NBC 6 report, Donzelli said that survey had not yet taken place.
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survey → say → place
County map appears to show patio inside property
While Donzelli was waiting for the survey, NBC 6 Responds reviewed mapping information available through the Broward County Property Appraiser's website.
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Responds → appear → website
The online map appeared to show Donzelli's enclosed patio within the boundaries of his property.
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map → appear → property
That mapping information adds another point to the dispute, although the developer said legal property boundaries are established through a certified survey based on the property's legal description and title documents.
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boundaries → add → description
He said he was also concerned about other residents in the neighbourhood who may have to deal with similar questions as construction continues.
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construction → say → questions
“There are a lot of folks who are still original owners from the early '70s who live here,” Donzelli said.
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Donzelli → be → 70s
“They may not understand how this process works.
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process → understand → ?
Who's advocating for them?”
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Who → advocate → them
The Woodlands project is replacing the former country club property with a planned community of 335 homes.
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project → replace → homes
According to Tamarac Talk, the development is planned to include more than 160 acres of preserved open space and lakes, a five-mile recreation trail, controlled-access gates, landscaping and infrastructure improvements.
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development → accord → space
The project was approved by Tamarac's city commission in March 2024 in a 3-2 vote.
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project → approve → vote
The Aporia
