Florida homeowners sue HOA over pickleball courts as noise disputes spread nationwide

Residents of the Andalucia community in Apollo Beach filed a lawsuit Aug. 15 against their homeowners association after the group converted clay tennis courts into pickleball courts, alleging the sport’s rapid, repetitive sound is disruptive to nearby homes and could worsen post-traumatic stress disorder for some neighbors.

Plaintiffs say courts are sited too close to houses and that the sharp, repetitive “popping” of pickleball play is unpredictable and jarring. "Ten properties are located within 250 feet of the proposed courts," Lori Sessano, a resident who is part of the lawsuit and a combat veteran, told Fox News. "Those unpredictable pops triggers fight or flight response. This is similar to the sound of a handheld pistol or a pneumatic nail gun for construction," she said. Another resident, Vietnam veteran Michael Wasielewski, told Fox News he is not opposed to recreation but worries the area "is not designed or zoned to withstand pickleball's continuous industrial-level noise."

The complaint in Hillsborough County is the county’s first lawsuit of this kind against an HOA but comes amid a surge of similar disputes nationwide. Commissioner Josh Wostal told the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners that at least 200 similar lawsuits have been filed across the United States. He pointed to differences in equipment and playing surfaces as a source of higher decibel readings, saying a tennis racket and ball on clay produce less noise than a hard paddle and plastic ball on asphalt.

Actor Robert Davi, known for roles in The Goonies and License to Kill, addressed the commission Aug. 20 and demonstratively repeated the sound of play, saying, "Pong, pong, pong, pong," and asking commissioners whether such noise should be allowed next to residential neighborhoods. "We need you guys to step up," he said, adding that he favors keeping play at a greater distance from homes rather than banning the sport outright.

At the meeting, commissioners considered two motions. A proposal to temporarily halt permitting new pickleball courts within 250 feet of residential homes until staff could verify an appropriate setback failed on a 3-4 vote. A second motion, passed unanimously, directed county staff to research the growing number of lawsuits involving pickleball and to explore sound ordinances and recommended distances for new courts to protect neighborhoods.

Across the country, homeowners have challenged HOA decisions to convert tennis courts, install new courts, or permit public play, citing increased noise, traffic and impacts on enjoyment of private property. In 2022, a Scottsdale, Arizona, couple sued their HOA after a tennis court was reconfigured into two pickleball courts; in 2020, homeowners in Austin, Texas, sued over plans for a community pickleball court. Similar disputes have been reported in South Carolina and multiple California communities.

The sport’s rapid expansion has intensified demand for courts and sharpened conflicts. The Trust for Public Land reported that the number of public pickleball courts in major metropolitan areas rose by about 650 percent in recent years. At the same time, some homeowners have grown increasingly critical of HOA authority, citing rising fees, fines for minor infractions and what they describe as heavy-handed enforcement.

State Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, a Republican from Miami, has used the controversies to press for changes to HOA power, saying in public comments that residents should not have "authoritarian boards dictate your day-to-day life with no accountability." Nationally, an estimated 365,000 homeowners associations govern roughly 30 percent of the U.S. population, according to industry estimates cited in recent reporting.

Local officials and courts are now grappling with how to balance strong interest in pickleball with residents’ complaints about noise and quality of life. Some jurisdictions are considering noise limits, setback distances and court surface choices as potential mitigations. In Hillsborough County, staff were asked to propose potential ordinances and recommended distances for new courts; any regulatory changes would follow staff review and potential public hearings.

The Andalucia plaintiffs are seeking relief through the courts while county staff begin their review. The outcome of the lawsuit and the staff study could influence how other Florida counties and municipalities address similar disputes as pickleball continues to gain popularity in communities nationwide.