APV Neglects Green Pool Issue

POINCIANA, Fla. -- June 10, 2008 -- If you blinked at yesterday's meeting of the Association of Poinciana Villages (APV), you would have missed the board's touching on the issue of foreclosed homes in Poinciana. With foreclosures on the rise, officials throughout Florida are fielding more complaints about pools, those in-ground symbols of luxury, that have become host to algae, frogs, turtles and other wildlife.

As the issue of foreclosures worsens, local families -- becoming ill from living near these types of swimming pools -- may force the APV to act. If left too long to fester, "green pools" produce a foul smell, which attracts the attention of those living by them and could also become a safety issue for children attracted to green-pool homes, which are for the most part abandoned, a.k.a., attractive nuisances.  In addition, "green pools" or pools with excessive algae growth are breeding grounds for water-borne bacteria, toads and disease-carrying mosquitoes. 

 

The APV reported a total of over-1,700 properties currently in foreclosure in Poinciana, which equates to about a one-in-ten chance of living near a green pool in this southwest Kissimmee community. The APV reported that they expect the issue of foreclosures to get worse in 2009.

 

The Florida Association of Realtors (FAR) recently publicized this growing problem in the West Palm Beach area, where more then 5,000 homeowners face foreclosure.