Florida homeowners sue HOA over conversion of tennis courts to pickleball, saying noise worsens PTSD

Residents of the Andalucia community in Apollo Beach filed a lawsuit Aug. 15 against their homeowners association after the HOA converted clay tennis courts into pickleball courts, alleging the change has produced disruptive noise that unsettles nearby neighbors, including military veterans who say it could worsen post-traumatic stress disorder.

Plaintiffs contend the distinctive popping sound of pickleball — a hard paddle striking a solid plastic ball on a hardened surface — produces unpredictable, high-decibel bursts that can trigger fight-or-flight responses. "Ten properties are located within 250 feet of the proposed courts," said Lori Sessano, a plaintiff and combat veteran, who told Fox News the noise is similar to the sound of a handheld pistol or a pneumatic nail gun. Another plaintiff, Vietnam veteran Michael Wasielewski, said he supports recreation in principle but that the neighborhood "is not designed or zoned to withstand pickleball's continuous industrial-level noise."

The case is the first pickleball-related suit filed against an HOA in Hillsborough County but comes amid a wave of similar disputes nationwide. At least 200 such lawsuits have been filed around the country, County Commissioner Josh Wostal said at a county board meeting, and commissioners directed staff to study the issue and recommend possible sound ordinances and separation distances for new courts.

The commission meeting Aug. 20 drew residents and public figures to comment. Actor Robert Davi, 74, who has appeared in films including The Goonies and License to Kill, demonstrated the repetitive sound at the meeting by vocalizing "pong, pong, pong" and urged the commission to adopt restrictions, saying he had "nothing against pickleball" but wanted it played a sound-free distance from homes. A proposed temporary moratorium that would have blocked permitting new pickleball courts within 250 feet of residences until staff could set a distance failed on a 3-4 vote. A separate motion directing staff to research the growing number of lawsuits and to propose ordinances and distances passed unanimously.

Officials and residents have pointed to technical differences that can affect noise levels. Wostal said pickleball can produce higher decibel readings than tennis because of equipment and surface differences: a hard paddle and solid ball on asphalt can create sharper, more piercing sounds than a hollow plastic racket and rubber tennis ball on clay.

The legal friction in Hillsborough County follows a string of cases in other states. In 2022, a Scottsdale, Arizona, couple sued their HOA after a nearby tennis court became two pickleball courts, saying the noise made it difficult to enjoy their backyard and that they were not consulted. In 2020, homeowners in Austin, Texas, sued their HOA after it approved a community pickleball court, citing concerns about increased noise and traffic. Counties and municipalities in South Carolina and California have seen comparable disputes.

Pickleball is currently the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and demand for courts has surged. The Trust for Public Land reported a roughly 650 percent increase in the number of public pickleball courts in major metropolitan areas in recent years. At the same time, conflicts over courts are drawing attention to broader frustrations with homeowners associations, which govern roughly 365,000 communities and house about 30 percent of the U.S. population.

Some critics argue that HOA authority on issues large and small has become onerous; residents point to rising monthly fees and fines for property infractions. State Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, R-Miami, has called for limiting or abolishing HOA powers in parts of Florida, saying residents should not live under what he described as "authoritarian boards."

Municipal responses vary. Local governments are beginning to weigh noise studies, buffer-distance rules, temporary moratoria on new courts near residences, and other regulatory measures to balance growing demand for pickleball facilities with neighborhood livability concerns. As the sport expands, courts, HOAs and local officials face increasing pressure to find standards that address sound, placement and community input to reduce future litigation.