A quiet Citrus Park block that once sounded like crickets and sprinklers now feels more like a weekend nightclub, according to neighbors. The shift began after Del Favero Oasis, an orchid nursery that started renting out a pavilion for receptions, ramped up its events. Now some of the same residents who complained about the parties are finding themselves on the receiving end of lawsuits.
Del Favero Oasis, which bills itself as an orchid farm with an event pavilion, has sent legal letters and filed suits accusing several neighbors of slander, libel and harassment after repeated complaints about traffic and amplified music. Some residents say the dispute has already changed how they live at home, prompting them to put up taller fences and invest in double-pane windows in an effort to muffle the sound.
Noise Complaints, Traffic Jams And Sheriff Calls
Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies have been called to the Del Favero property 10 times since February 2024, and county records list eight of those complaints as founded, according to Tampa Bay 28. Neighbors say the music routinely feels far louder than anything that belongs in a residential area; one resident told reporters she had seen readings as high as 85 decibels, which she compared to standing in a club.
Residents also complain that cars race down the private gravel lane leading to the venue and that guests leave late into the night, headlights and laughter stretching long past bedtime on a street that used to go quiet early.
Owners Lean On Agritourism Protections
On its website, Del Favero describes itself as an orchid nursery that hosts small, private events, highlighting a pavilion and ceremony space among its features. The owners argue that the property operates as a bona fide farm and that the weddings and receptions qualify as agritourism activity under Florida law.
Florida's agritourism statute defines covered activities but also notes that the law does not extend to "the construction of new or additional structures or facilities intended primarily to house, shelter, transport, or otherwise accommodate members of the general public." See Florida Statute 570.86 and the venue's own description at Del Favero Oasis.
Suits, Countersuits And Refund Claims
Del Favero Oasis has not just pushed back in public meetings and emails. The business has sued several neighbors, accusing them of slander, libel and harassment tied to negative reviews and repeated complaints, with attorney David Vukelja listed on the filings. Neighbor Debbie Aiguesvives says she was served after posting a Google review about her experience with the venue.
Another nearby couple that runs a tree-removal business was also sued and has filed a countersuit of its own, alleging the venue plays loud music and that guests have trespassed on their property. As Tampa Bay 28 reported, the venue's attorney wrote that "we host a modest average of 30 small weddings per year" and that the business monitors decibel levels at every event.
How Courts Have Handled Agritourism Fights
Across Florida, judges have been sorting out a basic but tricky question: when is a wedding barn or event pavilion truly part of a farm and when is it just a commercial venue that has to follow local zoning and noise rules like everyone else? Appellate opinions show the answer is heavily fact-specific.
In a recent Second District Court of Appeal decision, judges focused on whether a property's event activity was "consistent with a bona fide farm" and pointed to statutory limits on structures built primarily to serve the public. For background on that line of cases, see the appellate opinion in Sheik Island Farm v. Covington Farm, which is available on Justia.
What Neighbors May Be In For Next
Because Florida law shields some farm activities from local regulation while explicitly excluding structures built mainly to accommodate the public, disputes like this often wind up in court or drag through lengthy permitting battles. Neighbors can file private-nuisance claims or seek injunctions, but county enforcement tools may be limited if a property qualifies as a bona fide farm under state definitions.
For now, homeowners next to Del Favero say they are stuck juggling sleepless weekends, safety worries about traffic on the gravel lane and the prospect of costly legal fights as the Citrus Park wedding war plays out.
