Help Starley Save Her Grandmother’s Legacy. We are asking for your help as Starley faces an overwhelming legal and financial battle involving the property her late grandmother left behind in Lake Panasoffkee, Florida.

Starley's grandmother, Mallie Rae Ard, dedicated more than 25 years of her life to serving Sumter County as a school bus driver. Her home in Lake Panasoffkee was where Starley's father grew up, where generations of memories were made, and where Starley once dreamed of raising her own children. Today, that legacy is at risk of being lost over more than $50,000 in code enforcement fines.

After her grandmother passed away, Starley's family discovered approximately $50,000 in fines associated with the property. The original code enforcement notices were mailed to an outdated address, meaning they never received them.

How is a family supposed to correct violations they were never properly made aware of?

The County eventually agreed to reduce the fines to approximately $8,000 through a settlement. Starley worked tirelessly to resolve the situation and secured a buyer for the property. Unfortunately, that buyer backed out shortly before closing, creating financial difficulties that caused the family to fall behind on payments. Rather than giving the family another opportunity to fulfill the reduced settlement, Sumter County reinstated the original fines, now exceeding $50,000.

Since then, Starley has personally spent more than $10,000 on probate, demolition, cleanup, and bringing the property into compliance. She has not ignored the situation. She has not walked away from her responsibilities. She has invested thousands of dollars trying to do the right thing. And yet, her family continues to face the possibility of losing everything her grandmother left behind.

Starley has now secured ANOTHER buyer, creating a new opportunity to settle this matter and move forward. But Sumter County has refused to reconsider the previously agreed-upon reduced settlement.

This raises serious questions about how the County exercises its discretion in code enforcement matters, how inherited properties are handled, and whether families are being given reasonable opportunities to resolve violations.

They Need Your Help to Fight Back. Starley is seeking legal representation to challenge how this situation has been handled and explore every available option to protect her family's interests. Two attorneys have already declined representation due to conflicts of interest, making an already difficult situation even more challenging.

All funds raised will help cover attorney retainers, consultations, legal filings, and other legal expenses associated with this fight.

We believe Starley deserves the opportunity to have an attorney review the County's actions, the original notification process, the settlement agreement, and the reinstatement of these substantial fines. This family is not asking to be exempt from the law. They are asking for fairness, transparency, and accountability from the local government that their grandmother spent decades serving.

Imagine losing a loved one, inheriting their home, discovering tens of thousands of dollars in fines you didn't know existed, spending your own savings to correct the problems, and still facing the possibility of losing the property.

Every dollar raised will help Starley pursue the legal representation she needs.

If you cannot donate, PLEASE SHARE this fundraiser. Share it with local reporters, news stations, community leaders, and anyone who believes government agencies should be held accountable for their decisions.

We are asking for FAIRNESS. We are asking for ACCOUNTABILITY. And we are asking that this family's story not be ignored.

Thank you ❤️