Homeowners fight over gravel walkway

Michael groves and his wife installed a gravel walk away three years ago because it's safer for their son to walk on but now their homeowners association says it has to go a Chris Trackman has that story for you all new tonight what was the problem with this the problem is is that it's not concrete and it's not a paver but it's small it's hardly noticeable it doesn't meet their criteria and they're not willing to make any modification Michael Grove says the battle to save his little gravel path has become more than just a dispute with a homeowners association the 40 year old says he's fighting for other kids with disabilities HOAs or big bullies in that they really don't take into people's considerations the disabilities and the things that go on in people's lives groves 15 year old son-in-law is autistic and suffers from epileptic seizures he installed the gravel path three years ago because it gives his child a better chance of avoiding hitting his head on the concrete using a lead weight as an example Grove shows how the gravel provides a softer landing I think the board is ignorant to the fact that there's people with disabilities and that they have to accommodate him crow says when the Sommerfeld Riverwalk village Association denied his request to keep the path because it violated their cosmetic code he contacted the US Department of Housing and Urban Development on grounds that the HOA is violating the Federal Fair Housing Act in the meantime you have to get rid of it yeah I'd have to cover it up with sod you were to suddenly get rid of this that could impact his life it would impact it the HOA referred us to their attorney who wrote that the association is reviewing the legal concern Gro says none of this was necessary if they had left his pathway alone now I feel that I'm standing up for people who have been discriminated against in Lakewood Ranch Chris Franklin ABC Action News

Channel: ABC Action News

Views: 688,388

Keywords: News, local, news

Id: K_5Gs5QTwkE

Length: 1min 55sec (115 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 30 2014