Woman Goes to Jail for Not Mowing Lawn

[KamaAina]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/oddnews/woman-goes-to-jail-for-not-mowing-lawn-182126275.html

Karen Holloway just spent six hours in a jail cell for failing to maintain her yard in accordance with the standards set by the city. ...

Last week, Judge Terry Vann handed down a five-day jail sentence to Holloway for refusing to comply with the city ordinances regarding yard maintenance, specifically the lack thereof. Holloway feels this was all just too much, saying, "It's not right. Why would you put me in jail with child molesters and people who've done real crimes, because I haven't maintained my yard."

In addition to the severity of the sentencing, Holloway say she also feels that she was bullied during the process because she was never read her rights or told that she could have a lawyer present.

This isn't the first time Holloway has been cited by the city. While her husband was serving in the military and deployed overseas, she was also sent a citation.

[hollysmom]

1. mine justssends someone to mow my lawn and then fines me.

well at the beach, it never got too bad at home (will not look out the window) once before we bought a lawn mower, (moved in mother in law dies, followed by my father dying... a bunch of my neighbors came over and mowed my lawn one day as a surprise. I thanked them, they did not do it in a negative way, they also brought food. I miss them. Now I just have grumpy neighbors, - I can live with all of these things, I know there are standards in my zoning and I have used standards to fight a restaurant getting a liquor license and someone else getting variances that would let them build a 3 story apartment in my AA single family residential area.

This woman needs nice neighbors. And Jail is stupid. doesn't get anything done

[KamaAina]

2. Or a goat

srsly, there's a guy here in NorCal who keeps a herd of goats that he sends out as natural pruners. Don't know if they do lawns, though.

[hollysmom]

3. well, you have to not poison them,like mine. I week by hand, poorly

I thought it was sheep anyway.

[Lil Missy]

4. I'm sure she got a notice first. I don't feel sorry for her at all.

I take good care of my lawn and it irritates me to have a neighbor who lets their lawn go to shit. And FWIW, her lawn had to be pretty bad to get a citation or warning. They don't arrest you because it's gone a week or two overdue.

[BlueJazz]

5. I keep mine mowed but couldn't care less what the neighbors lawn looks like.

[hunter]

6. I just do not understand the authoritarian "put 'em in jail" mentality.

Most places will simply send out a crew to cut the grass and place a lien against the property if the owner doesn't pay the bill. That can be a large bill too if it involves larger lots and mandated fire clearances.

What a waste of the court's time.

It's odd reading these stories from places where the cops and the courts have nothing better to do. The courts and cops where I live are so understaffed and busy with violent crimes and other felonies that they have no time for the small stuff.

I saw a cop come to a fender-bender the other day, which is rare unless somebody seems to be hurt, but it was only because it was a hit-and-run. A guy driving an SUV hit the woman's car and took off, probably because he was unlicensed, drunk, or uninsured.

[woo me with science]

8. We live in a hateful, punitive, authoritarian society,

and we are steeped in propaganda that teaches us to be hateful, punitive, and authoritarian.

It is very, very sad. I agree with everything you wrote.

[hunter]

9. Years ago one of our neighbors suffered a stroke.

The neighbors on either side had no problem mowing his lawn whenever they mowed their own.

That's the way a properly functioning human community works.

When an individual or family is having a rough time others with greater resources step up to the plate.

Grifters and freeloaders are much rarer than people who truly need a hand.

Our modern society is isolating. We are often suspicious of our own neighbors. This gives the authoritarians more power than they would otherwise have.

[mrmpa]

7. Reminds me of the time when my 84 year old mother...........

who was at the time 30, was cited by Philadelphia officials. My dad was stationed with the Marine Corps in Philadelphia. Me & my brothers ranged from age 10 down to 6 months. Mom was also working as a waitress.

Mom got a citation for not separating our trash & garbage. Mom had to appear in court, toted all 4 of us along with her. The judge gave my mom a tongue lashing for not separating. He fortunately did not fine her.

Throughout the rest of my youth we always wrapped our garbage in newspaper and then put it in a separate bag for pick up, this was long after we had moved from Philadelphia.

It would have been easier if our landlord had given us instructions when we moved into our house.

[magical thyme]

10. oh FFS, I'd be in bankrupcty after lost wages the way my "lawn" is kept

thank effing dog I live in Maine. I can keep my "lawn" any way I please. As long as we don't bring rats to the neighborhood, we're good. I'm working on getting caught up, but caring for a small farm with many animals and working a hectic schedule plus growing much of my own food makes lawn maintenance a low priority. It got even lower after I sold my rider mower to pay for a semester of school. Right now it's a push mower, and next year it will be a scythe.

Hah! I remember years ago in Massachusetts -- my voice teachers "lawn" was knee high grasses, clovers, wildflowers, whatever grew there.

I have neighbors with manicured lawns, neighbors with wild lawns, creep across the street turned his front lawn into a giant gravel parking lot. Whatever. Live and let live, and to each his own.

Remind me never, ever, ever, ever, ever to move south. Midwest either, where people have had food plants ripped up from beautiful raised beds because they violated some stupid ordinance.

Dog I hate people. I can't move far enough away ...