Saturday, April 21, 2012
By:Dave Bohman Lake Wales, Florida - The pickup truck could be the official vehicle of Polk County. At a small Lake Wales Ford dealership, there are more pickups than cars in the lot. But at the Lake Ashton’s subdivision, they’re not so welcome. Ed King, Lake Ashton home and pickup owner: “We cannot park our own personal truck, in our own personal driveway.” Ed King is hot under the collar. He and 26 other pickup owners who live in the subdivision have just learned they could be fined $100 a day fine beginning April first, if they continue parking their trucks in their driveways. This, even though the deed covenant. Ed King: “This is un-America, this is communism, when they tell you you can’t park your own truck in your own private driveway.” Frank Ota, Lake Ashton home and pickup owner: “I don’t know how they came about to pick pickup trucks as something to be prohibited from parking in the driveway.” People here can have pickup trucks, as long as they park them in their garage. But that’s a problem for Ed King. His pickup is exactly 21 feet long. Then when you measure his garage, you’ll find it at just, 19 and a half feet. Ed King: “I mean give me a break will you?” These pickup truck owners understand the idea of keeping the 650-home gated community, upscale. Commercial vehicles are banned under Lake Ashton’s homeowners covenant, but why pickup trucks? Escpecially when SUV’s are OK? Ed King: “And we got four people that I know of, that I have talked to, they have their homes for sale because they cannot park their own pickup truck, in their own private driveway.” King and other pickup owners say that if they get fined, they’ll take their case to court, driving their pickup trucks to the courtroom.
