Homeowners Lost the Fight Over Their Fence—Then They Changed the Rules
A dispute over a fence put two New Jersey neighbors at odds a few years ago. In 2021, Thomas F. Millea and Cecelia M. Millea filed a lawsuit against Vamsee Devireddy and Thejaswini Veerapalli over the right to build a fence on their property line.
While the Milleas initially put up the fence in their golf course community, Veerapalli and Devireddy fought back against the barrier, saying that it was a violation of the neighborhood covenant, according to legal paperwork published on Justia U.S. Law.
Their issue? A fence would block the view of the lake and the golf course. The Milleas were originally told to remove their fence after the 2023 case. However, a second trip to the courthouse in 2026 proved more successful.
That being said, the Milleas didn’t appear to win by changing the judge’s mind. Instead, they worked with other community members to present a unified front, securing a win for themselves and maybe even helping other residents in the process.
The Families Live Next Door to One Another
According to court documents, the Milleas, Devireddy, and Veerapalli are next-door neighbors in their golf course community. Back in 2023, Milleas built a fence in their backyard that turned out to be a violation of the community’s restrictive covenant, which was put in place to ensure that all neighbors get to enjoy their views of the lake and the golf course.
On June 6, 2023, a trial court ruled in favor of Devireddy and Veerapalli, telling Devireddy and Veerapalli to remove the fence (Docket No. A-3050-21).
However, the Milleas didn’t stop there, and they started working on the rest of the neighbors, gathering community support for the fence.
The Case Went Back to Trial in 2024
Undeterred by the 2023 ruling, the Milleas went back to court in 2024. This time they came armed with signatures from more than 60 percent of the people who lived in their neighborhood, which they then used to request a modification of the covenants. Once that was officially on the books, the Milleas built a new fence.
Devireddy and Veerapalli once again sued to have the fence removed; however, a June 22, 2026 ruling (Docket No. A-3678-24) allowed them to keep the fence this time.
According to Lieberman, Blecher & Sinkevic, P.C., having restrictive covenants (which are sometimes also called deed restrictions) altered can be challenging, depending on what they restrict. In New Jersey, they also have to be addressed under special conditions, usually through the Chancery Division of the Superior Court.
With so many different stories about neighborhood battles over fences in the news, it’s not surprising that the homeowners opted to go this route. Not only did it help the Milleas with their fencing plans, but it sounds like this legal maneuver changed the rules for the neighbors as well, which could make it easier for anyone in the community to build a fence.
