I read what happens if I’m convicted for failure to comply with 86-294 (the unkempt lawn ordinance), I either pay between $100 and $500 (which I don’t have) or I go to jail for “not less than 10 days”. I really don’t know what will happen, but I’m worried. Since my dad’s disability pays today, I’m tempted to take their checkbook and write a check on their account. (The city accepts personal checks.) I can sign checks on the account. And since I’m always told (except when the lawn wasn’t mowed) that this isn’t really my house, but theirs, then I honestly think it would be fair to have them foot the cost of the fine.
If I’m gone for 10 days…
Category: General | Tags: court summons, grass, Huntsville Municipal Court, lawn, ordinance violation, overgrown grass | 9 comments
9 Responses to “If I’m gone for 10 days…”
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June 9th, 2010 at 9:10 am
I think it’s crazy that all of this craziness is over a damn lawn. Doesn’t your town have bigger fish to fry? :/
.-= Pre-birthday birthday dinner was the last thing I wrote =-.
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June 9th, 2010 at 10:04 am
Oh, we have plenty of issues in this town. It’s not like a huge crime place, but we have murders, drugs, animal abuse, child abuse, neglect, etc. just like any other place that has the same population (metro area: 300k). Still, we have beautification ordinances that are punishable like any other crime.
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June 11th, 2010 at 12:20 am
I say go to court and fight them. To have committed a crime, the state (or city) must prove that there was an injured party. Demand they produce the injured to testify against you. To be an injured party, someone’s rights must have been violated or an injury (monetary or physical) must be proven. You can challenge the law on this argument or just your case. If they claim that failure to keep your lawn is only an “infraction” (like traffic tickets) then challenge the jurisdiction of the criminal court to try your case.
Even though we don’t agree on the Superintendent, I hold no ill feelings!
.-= Superintendent Moore Gets Demoted? was the last thing I wrote =-.
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June 11th, 2010 at 12:29 am
I know exactly who filed the claim with the Community Development people. I don’t really understand why the city feels the need to make it illegal, but I’m going to get the yard taken care of and reappear 2 weeks. I think it’s supposed to be dismissed by then. The CD people check about every few weeks with our house. At one point, when we didn’t get in trouble with the CD people, the neighbor (who has recently moved out of the neighborhood) left a rude letter in our mailbox threatening to have our house condemned because we had some stuff on our front porch. It wasn’t anything major that we had on the porch, but he wanted us to lose our house over like a broken lawn chair and some pieces of wood.
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June 11th, 2010 at 12:39 am
Are you in a HOA?
.-= Superintendent Moore Gets Demoted? was the last thing I wrote =-.
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June 11th, 2010 at 12:46 am
Nope. I don’t think so. He is, though. (Same street, different neighborhoods.)
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June 11th, 2010 at 1:04 am
Yeah, you should fight it. Don’t pay and don’t go out of your way on the lawn either. Stick it to the man! What section did they charge you on so I can look it up?
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June 11th, 2010 at 1:13 am
Ordinance 86-294 is under Chapter 27, Article 3
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June 13th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
that is so silly! I have never heard of anything like that, you should definatley fight it!! good luck
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