As many of you know, the Wackenhut patrol officers and supervisors are responsible for the enforcement of The Property Owners Association Rules and Regulations. There are two types of citations we issue: Vehicle Violations and Code Violations.
The following are some examples of Vehicle Violations:
- Trucks parked overnight
- Commercial Vehicles
- Vehicles with advertising
- Vehicles parked on the roadway / swales
- Expired tag / no tag
- Vehicle Eyesores
Some of these violations are cited only overnight (2:00 am to 6:00 am) and some are cited twenty-four hours a day. If a vehicle is cited for the same violation three times in a six-month period, you will receive a red sticker. This red sticker is usually attached to the driver’s side window. If the vehicle is found in violation again, it can be subject to towing. Unfortunately, we do tow vehicles (31 vehicles in 2008).
We only tow vehicles as a last resort, but as you can see, it happens. As a resident, it is important you are aware of the POA Rules and Regulations and if you receive a citation on your vehicle, you should contact security or the POA Office to find out what you can do to rectify the situation.
The second type of violation we issue are Code Violations. Here are some examples:
- Open garage door
- Trash (placed for collection too early, etc.)
- Signs visible from the roadway
- Commercial work after hours
- Solicitation
- Fishing
Last year alone, we issued over 6,800 Code Violations. The majority of these violations were for trash and open garage doors. Open garage doors present a security risk to you as the homeowner. In past years, residents have become the victim of theft due to open garage doors. Several years ago, we had a suspect roving through communities stealing golf clubs, which he would then sell to pawn shops.
As with most crimes, you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim, by simply closing your garage door when you are not parking your vehicle. If we find a garage door open, we will attempt to contact the resident either by telephone or in person. If we cannot contact you, we will attempt to close the door for you. Before we secure any garage door, we will check to make sure there is not an open interior door leading to the house.
If we do find an open interior door, we will contact the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department to check the home. As you can imagine, we can spend up to 30 to 45 minutes dealing with an open garage door with an open interior door.
Writing violations, while an integral part of our job, does detract from a more important task – security patrols. The more citations we write the less time we have for patrolling the communities within PGA National.
Please help us curtail these violations by being familiar with the Rules and Regulations of PGA National. Residents can pick up an official copy of the Property Owners Association Rules and Regulations at the POA Office located at Shoppes on the Green.