A Thousand Oaks couple has sued the city in an attempt to remove a protective net intended to shield a group of houses from wayward balls from the Los Robles Golf Course.
Charles and Connie Novak filed the suit last week in Ventura County Superior Court in a last-ditch attempt to remove the 60-foot-tall net, said their attorney, Gregory J. Ramirez.
The city erected the net in April to protect homeowners on Cherry Hills Court. The action was prompted by complaints from homeowners that errant golf balls break their windows and light fixtures and are a safety threat.
"It's awful looking," Charles Novak said. "There's three huge telephone poles with this net suspended between them. And it really does not stop the flight of golf balls. We still get a couple a day."
In the suit, the Novaks accused the city of lowering the value of their home by obstructing their view of the course. The suit seeks about $200,000 in damages.
"The complete irony of this is that the Novaks have never complained about the golf ball situation," Ramirez said. "This lawsuit is not about money. Their primary objective is to get the net removed."
Last year, the city tried to appease residents by erecting the net and redesigning the fifth fairway so golf balls would not fly over the residents' back fences. But some residents "still sued us because they said golf balls were still coming over," Thousand Oaks City Atty. Mark G. Sellers said.
