The Dividing Line

Read Emily Nipps' story: People who don't live in Tampa Palms' Lancaster and Ashington Estates neighborhoods might not see the subtle differences.

They might not notice that Ashington Estates homes have shingle roofs while the Lancaster homes have fancier tile roofs, or that the former was built by Lennar Homes Inc. and the latter by luxury home builder Hannah Bartoletta. They probably can't tell where the $600,000 homes end and the $700,000-and-up homes begin.

But here in these adjoined communities, that dividing line matters.

Just over a month ago, Lancaster homeowners erected a gate on the neighborhoods' shared main vein of Emerald Chase Drive, preventing Ashington Estates people from entering or cutting through Lancaster's private roads to get to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard more quickly.