Most people who live in a house with a yard mow their lawns.. But what about those who won’t? in my city, lax code enforcement procedures actually encourage lazy property owners. The officers are supposed to patrol the city and find violations. But in fact, they sit back and wait to receive a complaint before taking any action. Shouldn’t they be more aggressive? What if you don’t mow your grass.?
If you contact Code Enforcement here about someone’s overgrown lawn, the department will issue a citation which says they’ve received a complaint. This creates a tense situation between neighbors. Consequently, very few people will call to complain about their neighbor’s yard. Anyone driving around our town will see numerous empty houses and vacant lots with sky-high grass and weeds. One housing developer, located directly across from a beautiful park, is allowed to let tall weeds proliferate on acres of land.
Other towns have more pride in the appearance of their city. This year, In Dunedin Florida, one man was fined $30,000 for not mowing his lawn
Many cities impose fines, liens, and even foreclosure on property owners who refuse to mow their grass.
https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/landscaping/fines-liens-foreclosure-refuse-mow-lawn/
Along our street, one able bodied homeowner has been reported to Code Enforcement more than once for letting weeds and grass grow way beyond the allowed 8 inches. Obviously, this devalues all of the surrounding property. You would think this individual would be on probation, or on a list of problem homeowners. But apparently, the agency has no follow up procedures. This homeowner continues to violate city codes –mowing only when he chooses– with no apparent repercussions or penalties imposed.
If code enforcement officers in this town can’t get up from their desks, they should at least make it easier for those who complain. Anyone should feel free to report a problem anonymously, without fearing reprisals from an angry neighbor.
You would think the Economic Development department might take a stand on lax code enforcement. A city that takes no pride in its appearance isn’t appealing to new business. In fact, our city has been steadily losing population for decades.
There are times when a homeowner is going through a bad time due to illness, disability or family problems. In this case, kindly neighbors might volunteer to help out with the yard work. Most would be glad to do whatever it takes to maintain the appearance of their neighborhood.
Lax code enforcement is bad for the city, bad for economic development, and bad for homeowners who spend money and effort to maintain their property.