Ohio Town To Homeowners: Mow Lawn Or Face Jail

That is crazy law.

Odd thing is on my street about 15 mins walk, walking pass one house. It looks like no one lives there. The house seems to be falling apart. (paint is peeling off etc)

Everything is overgrown, the trees, grass. It would be horrible if a poisonous snakes hiding in trees or long grass.
 
Jenni-m is right. Myself, I think it's outrageous that they would even consider putting people into jail for something like this.
 
Brian said:
Ouch, that is bad, deafbajagal.

This makes me to think that HOA is worth thing to have.
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This is why we use zoning. It's basically a by-law in many cities. You don't need HOA for this.

Here, people can be fined for violating the zoning restrictions.
 
Like the article stated:

"The laws are an effort to reduce the roughly $250,000 the city spends to cut about 2,000 private lots each year and to address public complaints, Councilman Greg Hawk has said."

Tax payers don't want to pay $250,000 per year to mow lawns that belong to other people.
 
Reba said:
Like the article stated:

"The laws are an effort to reduce the roughly $250,000 the city spends to cut about 2,000 private lots each year and to address public complaints, Councilman Greg Hawk has said."

Tax payers don't want to pay $250,000 per year to mow lawns that belong to other people.
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Which makes the law nearly redundant, as I pointed out in the math above.

$250,000 / 2,000 = $125 per lot.

The fine is $250, assuming someone is prosecuted for not cutting their lot:

$250 + -$125 = $125 so, with the fine ALONE they get back double the cost of cutting.

However, added jail time will SUBTRACT from this, by about $50 per day.

Even after THREE days in jail, for just one person, the will already have LOST $25 dollars MORE than just cutting the grass and charging a fine.

$125 - ($50 * 3) = -$25 (negative $25)

If they went the whole 30 days:
$125 - ($50 * 30) = -$1375 (negative $1375)

And guess who ends up paying for that?

It doesn't add up to a benefit, even in individual scenarios. All they could HOPE for is people will be so scared to go to jail, that they will actually cut their grass, and it will make up for any losses from cutting and prosecuting... which is a risky assumption, when you look at the numbers.
 
Brian said:
Would you guys like to see old, ugly cars and trash on a property next to you?

I know I wouldn't... I don't want snakes, rodents, bees, wasps, etc. close to me.

Grown grasses/weeds and such are attractive to these animals and insects.
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That's the whole point of why this law was made. People abused their yards, instead of really maintenance their yards. The bottom line is that they want people who's willing to put their time and energy caring for their yard instead of damaging their own yard. It helps keep the grass green, and clean.

Be glad those of you do not live in Ohio, but I do, and I do not mind. :)
 
Cheri said:
That's the whole point of why this law was made. People abused their yards, instead of really maintenance their yards. The bottom line is that they want people who's willing to put their time and energy caring for their yard instead of damaging their own yard. It helps keep the grass green, and clean.

Be glad those of you do not live in Ohio, but I do, and I do not mind. :)
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Yes, that is fine, I understand why the law was made.
However, the fact remains that it breaks legal precedent... Tall grass, garbage, cars, are a civil matter, not a criminal one.

The fine for it is not the problem. The jail time is a problem. It does not belong in this law, whatsoever.

It's similar to jail time for parking in the wrong place, not using your turn signal, speeding, having your garbage can in the wrong place, not shoveling snow off your sidewalk... these are things handled in civil cases. They may require fines, people can sue if they cause accidents. You do not go to jail for them.
 
Glad to not be in Ohio at the moment. Our mower is in the repair shop for two weeks. Grass may be very high when we get it back.
 
jenni-m said:
Yes, that is fine, I understand why the law was made.
However, the fact remains that it breaks legal precedent... Tall grass, garbage, cars, are a civil matter, not a criminal one.

The fine for it is not the problem. The jail time is a problem. It does not belong in this law, whatsoever.

It's similar to jail time for parking in the wrong place, not using your turn signal, speeding, having your garbage can in the wrong place, not shoveling snow off your sidewalk... these are things handled in civil cases. They may require fines, people can sue if they cause accidents. You do not go to jail for them.
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A fine doesn't really stop anyone from repeating the same mistake, but jail time does in most cases; Nobody would like to be send to jail. I think this law makes a differences to stop homeowners from being careless about their own properties. U buy a house, you just don't take care of what's inside your home, You take care of everything, the property and your home. ;)
 
Bottesini said:
Glad to not be in Ohio at the moment. Our mower is in the repair shop for two weeks. Grass may be very high when we get it back.
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Yeah, that is what ticks me off.
I am not able to cut grass myself, I already have to get someone else to do it.
It already costs me money, which some times I don't have a lot of.

A week or so ago, it got pretty high (about a foot tall with weeds and stuff).
All my plans to have it done fell through, and I was struggling to get it done before I got a violation for it. Luckily I got it done before 'the letter' appeared in my box.
 
Cheri said:
A fine doesn't really stop anyone from repeating the same mistake, but jail time does in most cases; Nobody would like to be send to jail. I think this law makes a differences to stop homeowners from being careless about their own properties. U buy a house, you just don't take care of what's inside your home, You take care of everything, the property and your home. ;)
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Jail time doesn't stop people from committing murder either.
Law has deterring effects, yes. But that cannot be the SOLE PURPOSE of it, it is primarily for punishment and recompense (and rehabilitation, if you want to look at it that way.) they are not meant to cause fear. And as I said before, just because it is convenient for people who never plan to break it, that doesn't make it a good law. Looking at laws that way is a bad habit, leading to bad laws and eventually, tyranny.

Edit:
Also, people who break the law are human too.
A lot of people don't want to be merciful until they are the ones needing mercy... it is just too convenient to say "well, if you don't break the law, you don't have to worry."

I'll show you just how convenient it is...

Let's make one easy punishment for every law. A very simple and easy to enforce law.
The punishment for breaking any law, is death on the spot. Gun to your head, bang.

How many times would you be dead, by now?
 
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And sorry if I am overly serious, but law IS serious. It is DEADLY serious, in fact. A lot of people need to wake up to this (and I'm not saying people here, just in general).

A law is like a tree trunk, but more. It has many branches, and many roots... except the 'tree' of a law has branches and roots that can extend out indefinitely, into the unknown even. Ramification, and precedent. Each branch and root effects and directs many others.

This is extremely important to examine because it is one of the determining factors in the direction that our society will take. It is an extremely, almost unimaginably serious matter.
 
I understand what you're saying jenni-m. But, I do not have a problem with how tough the lawn law is, They are just very serious about the clean up the neighborhoods and the cities. If jail time has to be it, let it be. I'm not so upset about it, because I am sick and tired of seeing homes looking like white trash, it's an embarrassment. They don't just throw you in jail once they see tall grass growing on your yard, they will mailed a notice and given five days to mow the grass and take care of the violation. I had a rodent digging it's way through my basement because a neighbor left her trash out on the yard without a trash bin, and I had to report her to the city, Why should I put up with rodent when I'm doing something right and she wasn't?
 
Cheri said:
I understand what you're saying jenni-m. But, I do not have a problem with how tough the lawn law is, They are just very serious about the clean up the neighborhoods and the cities. If jail time has to be it, let it be. I'm not so upset about it, because I am sick and tired of seeing homes looking like white trash, it's an embarrassment. They don't just throw you in jail once they see tall grass growing on your yard, they will mailed a notice and given five days to mow the grass and take care of the violation. I had a rodent digging it's way through my basement because a neighbor left her trash out on the yard without a trash bin, and I had to report her to the city, Why should I put up with rodent when I'm doing something right and she wasn't?
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That is not the point.
It is still a civil violation.
It is NOT a criminal violation.

Therefor there should BE NO JAIL TIME, no matter if it draws ten thousand rats. That is just how it is supposed to be. It doesn't matter if they give you 30 days to fix it. It doesn't matter if they never even enforce the law. The law is technically flawed. Saying it any other way will not change that fact.

Allowing jail time for this law blurs the difference between criminal and civil law. A difference we have had in practice, for very good reasons, for a very long time. This law creates a precedent to screw all that up.

Edit:
Though, I may be making a big deal for this over nothing. I just realized that the article could have errors in it. If it were meant to be like a health code violation, for example, the up to 30 days in jail applies, if you don't pay the fine, not in addition to. This is what I mean by precedent. To make one law, we often look at another similar law, and see if they 'balance'.

So maybe it was meant to say be fined $250 or face up to 30 days in jail, which would be different, because they are separate offenses. I still don't agree with it, but it would be more technically sound, that way, at least.
 
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Like for Milwaukee (as of 2002)
Under Penalties For Health Related Violations, 61-7, it shows Class A violations.

61-7. Class A.
Upon conviction of a Class A violation, persons shall be fined no less than $25 nor more than $200, or upon default imprisoned not less than one day nor more than 30 days.

"Default" means failure to pay the fine, in this case. So, it would mean "pay up to $200, OR face up to 30 days in jail" but not both of them.
 
sequoias said:
To control the population of other insects. :) For example, praying mantis eat many small green bugs that eat leaves.
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Exactly!!! I need some insects in my garden to eat bugs especially ladybirds. Without bees, not flowers and fruits... that's why I need bees in my garden...
 
PowerON said:
Did you know that insects will eat your house and go broke?
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Yes, depend on material quality of house... it should be high good matieral quality..... insects like to go after poor quality...

and dust and foods should not leave or open on the kitchen table... insects like to smell....
 
Yes, jenni-m make a lot of sense in her posts here. I am with her.
 
Liebling:-))) said:
Yes, jenni-m make a lot of sense in her posts here. I am with her.
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I just happened to look up Canton's Codified Ordinances, and looked up their misdemeanor ordinances... and unfortunately, it is $250 and possibly 30 days in jail... but it refers to some state ordinance I cannot locate, due to Google being really stupid and Ohio's state sites not having their ordinances easy to find (which in itself is WRONG and needs to be corrected.)

I won't really get into it on a forum, as these ordinances are miles long and in 'legalese'.

It will just have to be sufficient to say, that not cutting grass should not even be a misdemeanor. It should be a civil violation. I think a few law makers have gone 'nuts' here.

Edit:
The ordinance in question is Ohio R.C. 2929.22 or 2929.23
If anyone knows how to find that.

Edit again:
Nevermind, I found it.
 
From what I can tell, so far, by going through the ordinances... they can't just slap you in jail for not cutting your grass, even though it is a misdemeanor. There are specific provisions for doing this, but none of them have to do with grass... so it is a lot more complex than just "$250 and 30 days in jail" like the article stated. Jail is possible, but is not necessarily mandatory, from what I am reading.

I hate it when news sites are overly scary about things and don't even bother to get the real story.
 
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