A Clearwater homeowner who has been growing palm trees, bushes, cactus and flowers in his front yard for 38 years is worried that code enforcement will make him trim it back after a right-of-way overgrowth survey is complete next week.

  • Jon Daniels' front yard in Clearwater is teeming with bushes, flowers, palm trees
  • Daniels, 77, is concerned about increasing code enforcement involvement
  • Some neighbors said they don't mind the brush

"The driveway must be reclaimed," homeowner Jon Daniels, 77, said a compliance officer told him. "All the ground cover must come off."

The only part of the driveway that is visible is a narrow path to the front door. The home, located at 1437 Carlos Ave., is almost completely obscured from the road. One neighbor said it looks like Daniels lives inside a forest.

"We don't mind his forest or that it covers his house," said Xandra Chambles, a neighbor. "It's really amazing."

The home, located at 1437 Carlos Ave., is almost completely obscured from the road. One neighbor said it looks like Jon Daniels lives inside a forest.

Another neighbor, Lynn Rosenthal, echoed Chambles' sentiments.

"I feel ... and most of the neighbors do (too), that he is doing a good job," Rosenthal said. "His yard is wonderful. He's a really good neighbor, and I'm very happy that he lives there."

But, not everyone in the neighborhood feels the same way.

Code enforcement received an anonymous complaint in February that stated there was an elderly person possibly at risk and the house smells of cat urine from a distance, according to Jose Patino, a city spokesman.

Daniels said a month later, code enforcement posted two notice of violations in his front yard for overgrowth. An issue the code enforcement board tabled at an April meeting and instead cited Daniels for three other violations, a fence in disrepair along with exterior surface walls and roof maintenance, according to Patino. Daniels has until June 20 to make those repairs before racking up a $250 daily fine.


It's hard to spot Jon Daniels' home as it is almost completely shrouded behind trees, bushes and overgrown brush.

"I just wish that other people would be treated equally," Daniels said. "I'm the only one targeted. ... I look down the street and I see right-of-way violations."  
Patino said a survey is being done on the property dealing with overgrowth on the right-of-way and a determination will be made once it's complete next week. Daniels said he already knows what's coming.

"The city tells me that the palm trees, cactus, purple berry trees, all 14 of them, the agave, have all got to go," he said.  

Daniels said all that vegetation keeps the inside of his home 8 degrees cooler than the outside.