Bad Judge: Woman Jailed For Having Messy Yard

[Czar]

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/den/news/stories/news-82562120010618-190606.html


<< LONGMONT, Colo., 9:05 p.m. MDT June 18, 2001 -- A Longmont homeowner was sentenced to 20 days in jail because she would not clean up her yard, 7NEWS reported. >>


I´d like to see how many people can get to jail for the same things, or lets say, their cars being messy, their room being messy... arg the world is full of idiots.

 

[JoeBaD]

You might feel differently if if you worked hard, saved your money, bought a home, toiled to keep it up, and had her living next door.

just a thought.

 

[snakesnfrogs]

damn that yard looks like something you'd see around here---though she probably wouldn't have gone to jail for it

 

[geno]

Even if someone like her was living next door - what does that have to do with you? It's her property, no matter how hard you work for yours. So why is it any of your business to worry about how clean she keeps her yard?

 

[ChrichtonsGirl]

I had the (dis)pleasure of living next door to someone like this, and while I know there are more important things we should be tossing people in jail for, I'm glad they're doing something about her.

My neighbor's trash heap attracted mice, roaches and God only knows what else. It was dangerous for the kids in the neighborhood because you never knew what kind of glass or sharp metal would migrate from her yard into ours and I pity the mailman who had to walk up to her door every day. It stunk, was an eyesore and completely detracted from the other properties in the neighborhood. I'm sure until it was cleaned up, property values for the adjoining houses would have gone down.

This woman repeatedly ignored escalating pleas from the city to clean up her dump, so what else were they supposed to do with her? At some point, you apparently have to get drastic with some people. My neighbor ended up getting a series of fines until she removed the hazardous garbage from her yard and kept the lawn at least partially maintained.

 

[TripleJ]

No way! Her yard wasn't that messy anyway. Jails aren't for those types of offences. Locking someone up for that is just plain wrong.

 

[PG]

Even if someone like her was living next door - what does that have to do with you? It's her property, no matter how hard you work for yours. So why is it any of your business to worry about how clean she keeps her yard?

Bad neighbors can ruin YOUR property value. I can guarantee that anyone living close to her wouldn't get as much for their house as they could if she cleaned her yard up.

I think this was a little extreme, but then again what else can they do? They gave her many chances to clean it up.

 

[StageLeft]

Nobody will want to buy your house if your neighbors yard is like that. There are various other laws existing that state that your lawn must be kept in reasonable condition (at one point our neighbor had about 8 inches of &quot;field&quot; growing and we were surprised nothing had been done about it). Ugly neighbor kills your property value.

 

[GL]

Good judge. The woman was given ample warning ahead of time (multiple verbal warnings and probation). Like the law or not, the judge just interprets it and having a messy front yard is likely an offense of some city bylaw. At the very least this woman could have kept the junk in a &quot;tidy&quot; pile in her back yard.

 

[reitz]

<< Even if someone like her was living next door - what does that have to do with you? >>

A messy yard is not aethetically pleasing to most people. It dirties the whole neighborhood (even if it is only one yard) and can drastically lower property values. Would you buy a home if the house across the street was a trash-strewn dump? True, we all have our rights, but do we actually have the right to lower another person's property value and cost them money?

While I do not feel that jail is justified in cases like these (fines work quite well), I have no sympathy for the jailed woman. I just can not care for someone who refuses to show the respect and consideration that others deserve.

 

[warcleric]

This is treading on very dangerous ground though. It has opened the doors for the government to tell property owners what they have to do with their property. I have always been against building permits for the same reason. If I want my lawn to be natural and grow 18&quot; high, that should be my business. Anything short of a risk to public health or safety should not be anyones business but my own. This whole property value/eyesore thing is not a reason to take away more of our individual liberties.

 

[TripleJ]

I'm sorry, but everyone seems happy that she went to the clink?

 

[Capn]

warcleric, this is hardly the first issue of government (usually city) telling homeowners what they can and can't do. Many places in historical areas can only make certain modifications to their house and only paint it a certain color and things like that.

 

[geno]

reitz - I understand about the whole property value thing. But if it's all in the backyard and out of sight from passers-by, then I can't really see how someone can truthfully say it's their business. Sure, I think that the person should clean up out of courtesy - but I think you still need to draw the line when someone says &quot;I live in this neighborhood and I expect everyone to act according to my standards&quot;

 

[warcleric]

Capn: I know this, but it doesnt make it any more right.

 

[GL]

Actually warcleric there was a case here in Toronto where the city had to back down because a guy wanted to grow a natural lawn (extremely high grass, weeds, wild flowers, etc.) It looks odd only because it's not normal. But junk on the lawn is another story.

 

[Amused]

And the assualt on private property continues...

How sad. We might as well just give up the idea of private property, and start paying rent to the government.

If you don't like your nieghbors, YOU move. Forcing THEM to conform to YOUR wishes infringes on THEIR rights.

 

[Capn]

When you decide to join a society and live amongst others, you give up personal freedoms. You are not limited to live in any one town, if this lady really wants to live in squalor she should move to a place that is more friendly to that type of behavior.

 

[warcleric]

GL: maybe if they can prove a valid safety reason or helath issue, then junk on the lawn is another story. An excuse of &quot;there are sharp objects in that pile&quot; doesnt cut it either, because noone should be trespassing on the property anyway. What if I dont like the bushes you have around your house or the color you painted it. This could decrease my property value as well, depending on the prospective buyer. We should throw everyone in jail that has a green house.

 

[warcleric]

Capn: ummm we arent socialists. Me buying a piece of property does not equal me &quot;joining a society&quot; whatever the hell that is supposed to mean. We dont have a queen to be loyal to and we arent ruled by a dictator, we dont have to join anything.

 

[SleepyGuy]

That is total BS! They should do something worthwhile in court, not this petty sh!t. Can't stand people who care so much about these little problems... waste of time and money, gov't just trying to be BIG BROTHER! peace out.

 

[GL]

AmusedOne when you keep on moving because you don't like your neighbours you get the dirty rotting urban American centres that exist today. But that's ok, because there's always a further suburb to move to. It's like clothing; we force people to wear clothes in public - they can wear clothes that are an eyesore but at least they wear something.

 

[StageLeft]

warcleric

If you bought a house for $400,000 and then 3 months later a new neighbor moves in and starts painting their house to look like God only knows what and piles junk on their yard and knocks out all their windows to replace them with boards (cause they like that sort of thing) you really think thats ok since your property value just plunged to $250,000?

 

[warcleric]

Just to add to this....Govt Property Inspectors are the most corrupt individuals I have ever had to deal with. So this is probably just another case of someone in the neighbourhood knowing someone in a high place in govt.

 

[warcleric]

Skoorb: I may not like it...but I wouldnt stop them. I truly do believe in a persons right to own property and do with it as they please. You also dont lose anything unless you decide to sell. So you really arent losing money from them, in fact it will probably lower your property taxes.