Am I out of line?

[colombiapunk]

Alright,

Now I definitely admit I am somewhat in the wrong on this one, but I don't think it's that bad, and certainly I don't believe it justifies the punishment I'm getting.

Ever since buying my house I've been receiving tickets for my yard, or for a few of my trucks if they are an inch (literally (2.5 inches written on the ticket)) on the grass off my driveway. I've been getting these every month without fail. Now, I definitely know I have the ugliest yard on the street. I work seven days a week and leave at 4am and get back at about 8 or 9pm. Besides for taking an hour every sunday and mowing my very dead lawn and mowing the weeds I often don't see my house in the daylight.

I know my dead lawn is a sore on the neighborhood, I know I don't take care of things enough, but when I am getting tickets for (in winter) ice on my sidewalk (because there are no drains on my street and my house sidewalk is the lowest point on the street (as things melt they naturally pool there and freeze(which I can fix but the next day will be there again for the inspector to see again))), and for trash in my yard (none of which is mine and comes from the wind depositing trash from who knows where in my yard (the last ticket I got was for two candy bar wrappers)).

The ticket is for $150 for the first offense. To contest it cost $100 non-refundable. At this point I have to say I'm feeling a little targeted. Is it because of all my trucks? because my lawn is ugly (but usually legal)?

In a three block radius there are ten foreclosures. The punishment for these crimes I'm being charged with go as follows

The first offense is $150, the second offense is $500 and the third offense is $999.

I'm getting ready to make a big deal about this. I do printing and marketing and consulting for the city, and know most of the city officials. I also can retaliate pretty heavily by using my media connections to show that the city of denver is fining people into foreclosure (which is what happened to two of my neighbors for similar fines on their houses (which they spent quite a bit of time and money trying to fix these problems)), and giving the city a bit of a black eye before the DNC, not something it wants.

Am I really very in the wrong? Is retaliating too petty and childish? I'm pretty pissed about all this. Thoughts?

[Oscar]

Got to love HOA's think your screwed

[ColoradoSkier]

If you feel it is a battle worth having, then by all means have it.

[scottycards]

You don't sound at all out of line.

I'd definitely look into it. Stand up for yourself.

I'm guessing these are City of Denver tickets, and not HOA related? If it's an HOA community, your recourse will have to be different tactics.

[OlBlueCJ7]

Am I really very in the wrong? Is retaliating too petty and childish? I'm pretty pissed about all this. Thoughts?

Yeah, I'd say so - clean up your shit.

Who would want to live next to a place like that? Take some pride in where you live, water your lawn and pay a neighborhood kid 10 bucks to come mow it for you if you don't have the time.

My $0.02.

[Barf Bag]

good luck on the tickets, that kind of stuff on top of an already full schedule really sucks.

If I were in that situation, I would pay neighborhood teenagers to mow the lawn and clear the snow, etc. if the parking on the grass is such a problem, could you widen your driveway with a row of decorative pavers or something?

[bsaunder]

Is it the HOA or city of Denver? - if it is like where I live, there is no HOA, but the city has given me a ticket or two before for breaking a code (weeds were too tall along my fence). Generally the code enforcement officer doesn't come by though unless a neighbor calls you in - I figured out which neighbor it was and did a few nice things for him; no more code enforcement tickets.

My guess is you have a peeved off neighbor and they are calling you in - once called, if code enforcement sees a violation, they have to at least write up a warning; and if they have written a warning, then they have to write a ticket.

[Trango]

At the very least, if you did pay someone to do these tasks, you could point to a paper trail that you were dealing with them.

If you are experiencing pooling that is the result of poor street design, I wonder if you can request that the city clear your ice. If they won't, at least you can say that it truly has nothing to do with your performance of snow-clearing duties, which is probably what the statutes stipulate for sidewalf maintenance.

[Barf Bag]

Who would want to live next to a place like that?

I wouldnt mind, if it was 'weathered' because the owner worked those hours he said he is working. I would rather live next to a guy who worked his ass off and let petty things slide than a lazy guy who had nothing to do but primp his lawn (not trying to insinuate all with nice lawns are lazy)

aesthetics can change, work ethic is hard to improve

[OlBlueCJ7]

I wouldnt mind, if it was 'weathered' because the owner worked those hours he said he is working. I would rather live next to a guy who worked his ass off and let petty things slide than a lazy guy who had nothing to do but primp his lawn (not trying to insinuate all with nice lawns are lazy)

aesthetics can change, work ethic is hard to improve

I can understand that - some people are just nit picky & bitch about anything/everything. That's silly.

By his own admission though, the vehicles are being parked on the lawn (what's wrong with the driveway and/or street?), and the lawn is dead & weedy. It's the middle of July right now - the ice is kind of a moot point.

With foreclosures already spreading through the neighborhood, selling properties becomes more & more difficult. The last thing people need is someone who won't take care of their own home & create an eyesore for everyone.

No one says he's got to make the cover of Homes & Gardens, but putting a little effort into couldn't be a bad thing.

[Barf Bag]

I can understand that - some people are just nit picky & bitch about anything/everything.

i was on the board of the HOA of my last neighborhood, you would be shocked at some of the complaints we had come in. I thought some of them were jokes until we followed up on them. The scary part was when those 'neighborhood nazis' decided to run for the board positions

[jtw2]

after taking a weeks vacation and busting my ass to fix and improve my yard/house yeah, I'd say you're out of line. Home ownership comes with some responsibilities to your community. Live up to them or move into a condo or patio home where the maint is covered.

[Oscar]

See this sounds fricken communist colorado I bought the place it pay my money I can do with it what I want. I hate HOA's they are for nothing people that can't stay out of my business. I say you don't like my place you move. They aren't the police or the courts. How the heck HOA's became the govenment beats me. Fawk HOA's they are taking my rights to freedom away. Same BS you can't fly a flag or you didn't pay me money so I can put a lean on your house. This the very reason I will never ever live in a place with a HOA.

[Jeffro600]

HOA's are teh suck...

But still...if you cant maintain your yard, pay or find someone who will.

[mkbruin]

Is this HOA or City Code?

[Cyclemut]

Where I'm moving to right now, the city of Denver has actually donated sod, trees and helped with the landsaping of several of my new neighbors to clean the area up. I have seen city trucks out there, working on peoples lawns, to insure that they meet the requirements of the city.

You might look into what it takes to get something like that. Then pay a local kid to mow it.

And everyone knows that home ownership has responsibilities. Tell that to the folks that have ARM loans and now want the govy to bail them out. One responsability is to make your damn payments. If Columbia is working his ass off to keep his house, then I'd rather live next to him than someone that's getting bailed out by my tax dollars but has plenty of time to primp their lawn.

And even though I'm renting my place, I still volunteered to keep up with the lawn to insure it's up to the city's work on my neighbors' yards. Our shizzle looks good!

[Pilot]

How the heck HOA's became the govenment beats me. Fawk HOA's they are taking my rights to freedom away. Same BS you can't fly a flag or you didn't pay me money so I can put a lean on your house. This the very reason I will never ever live in a place with a HOA.

I don't like HOA's either but people sign the HOA agreements voluntarily giving them sweeping powers and the ability to increase their fees at will. They quickly realize they've made a pact with the devil once they recieve their first letter for not cutting the grass below the 2.5 inch minimum.

[Oscar]

Thats why I won't do it. Also as I understand it when you buy a place with an HOA you don't have a choice. I turned down several places because when the land and title search was done they came back declaring there was an HOA. It has to be revealed before you buy a place.

[Barf Bag]

This the very reason I will never ever live in a place with a HOA.

After living in my past hood with a very minimally invasive HOA (their covenants/restrictions were only reiterated town codes and stuff pertaining to construction), I have decided that they are to be avoided by me from now on.

I kept the appearance of my house up, not because of the HOA, but because I wanted to (if I didnt, the wife would be on my back) There is no HOA in my current 'hood, and most of the lots are well kept.

[OlBlueCJ7]

There is no HOA in my current 'hood, and most of the lots are well kept.

Same here - just normal city covenants, which are only enforced upon complaint, really. Our neighborhood is better kept than most, I'd say.

HOA's aren't necessary for the proper maintenance of one's yard - someone who takes pride in their home will do this of their own accord.

[Oscar]

Which I would if I had a yard but I don't need busy bodies fining because they dont like it.

[Cyclemut]

The place I lived in 2 years ago had an HOA. But we were renters and never signed the HOA BS. They tried to tow my motorcycle off of my garage pad stating that I couldn't park my bike in the 'commons' area of the culdesack (sp?). I called the cops and prevented the tow truck from touching my ride until they showed. That alone almost got me arrested when the cops showed up (something about brandeshing a weapon :D ). We eventually ended up leaving because the HOA wouldn't stop harrassing us about having to sign their papers. Fawk HOA's!

[Speedwagon]

after taking a weeks vacation and busting my ass to fix and improve my yard/house yeah, I'd say you're out of line. Home ownership comes with some responsibilities to your community. Live up to them or move into a condo or patio home where the maint is covered.

But should he be getting a ticket for a piece of trash that blew into his yard? And I wouldn't consider having your tire 2 inches into the grass, parking on the grass.

He did say he mows it on Sunday, so it doesn't sound like that's a problem.

Personally, I don't get the whole watering the lawn thing, in a very arid part of the country, where water itself is fairly scarce. Hell, you can actually OWN water out here apparently, an unheard of concept in the midwest. So why are people throwing water into a lawn, when people have to work extra just to get the water in the first place?

[colombiapunk]

It's the city, no HOA. Thanks for the input. The grass is mowed every week, and does grow. There are no dead patches, it's just all yellow (dying I guess). A few of my neighbors are retirees, and seem to work on their yards all day long. Definitely something I respect, and I'm sure they are the ones complaining about my lawn. The weeds I have I pull from the lawn every week, but along the side of the house I don't pull them, usually don't have time. I cut them to the same level as the grass, but let them be right next to the house.

For the dip in the street I called the inspector, and he said it wasn't his problem. I asked if I could redo the sidewalk he said no, the city had to do it which i wasn't surprised about. I called that branch of the city and they said it would be too expensive to install a drain there, and that according to their records there was no need for a drain on that street, and that I could call one of their licensed cement companies and do it, but I would be footing the bill.

I could pay a kid to mow the lawn, but I already do that. I could pay a kid to clean the trash out of my yard everyday. But sometimes it's there sometimes it's not, it blows in whenever the wind blows. usually just a candy wrapper or two but it's especially bad on garbage days. But as I found out two candy bar wrappers counts as a violation. In a while things will change, but for the last year I've been an owner operator of my business, supporting 4 businesses here and abroad, 15 employees, and 4 apartments local and worldwide, with just what I do here by myself. Until these other ventures pay out, money is very very tight (these venture require alot of setup and time in setup before money can be made).

I do believe I have been an irresponsible home owner, and once these deals pan out I may even buy a few of these foreclosed homes and try to raise the status of the neighborhood. But what I find unreasonable is fines of $150 - $500 - $999 for a city problem the city won't fix (the ice), and for as little (it's been more in the past, but this one, my first real ticket and not a warning) two candy bar wrappers?

I can understand a warning. Then $25. Then $100 and a required call or meeting with the inspector so the inspector can properly identify what you need to fix, and then the third time the city fixes it for you and you have to pay the bill for what ever it was. But this current system seems like they're either trying to drive people into foreclosure or like they just need money really bad. I also have issue with the non-refundable charge for contesting the ticket being almost as much as the fine. They could ticket you falsely every month and make all the money they need on you contesting it... Just doesn't seem right.

My trucks are all full width, they can squeeze on the driveway side by side but particularly coming home in the dark it's tricky to get them perfect without doing a poser shot and driving one tire over the other. No excuse I can move them in the morning, it's just another thing that seems kind of petty and unreasonable to me. They move every day and change positions all the time. I know the inspector knows they are reparked almost everyday. It just seems silly to ticket me for for the outer lugs on the xterrains to be touching the grass. I guess I just thought of this country as being more free. I lived in places with HOAs before and they were never this nit picky.

Maybe you're right OlBlueCJ7. I could get some kids to deal with the weeds along the side of the house, it's just the stuff that changes everyday like water melting and trash blowing that pisses me off. I can't stay at home all day waiting for the wind to blow to jump outside and fix my lawn. Well thanks for the advice, I guess really I just needed a good rant.

[Oscar]

Well then you screwed still get new city council members and change the laws

[Barf Bag]

I turned down several places because when the land and title search was done they came back declaring there was an HOA.

It took me about 2 years to find a decent lot in the area without an HOA, but the wait and looking was worth it, now I just need to be confident this recession stuff will pass so I can start construction. It did have a deed restriction of no premanufactured housing, but we planned on stick building anyway, so it wasnt a deal breaker.

the complaints we had while i was on the board were so out of control, we just started taking care of them. one guy was out of town on a short notice work assignment and his lawn got a little out of control, the neighbor sent us a nasty letter every day for about a week (we only checked the PO Box once a week) so we just went over and mowed it for him. the neighbor chick went psycho when she saw us doing that and found out we werent charging him. there was another guy who had his landscaping gravel delivered and had a heart attack while shoveling it, people who knew still complained almost immediately about the gravel pile on the driveway/sidewalk.

if you want to see the ugly side of people, attend an HOA meeting. it was like jerry springer live, we had to have the police there to remove people every time.

if you want to see the stupid side of people, attend an HOA meeting.

if you want to see the fiscally irresponsible side of people, attend an HOA meeting.

[CLYDE]

2 words, privacy fence

[Jeffro600]

2 words, privacy fence

Its probably against the HOA rules... :flipoff2:

[Cyclemut]

The city is in need of money, that's for sure. Dickenpooper needs to fund all of his anti-violence, anti-graffiti and anti-gang crap that hasn't been working at all for another year.

[CherryokeeXJ]

Why don't you say fawk it and xeroscape (is that the right spelling??). We moved into our house, and the front was nothing but rose bushes, day lilies, weeds, and bees/wasps. We borrowed by brother in law's skid loader and did some adjusting to how the tiers were laid out, then it was weed barrier and gravel all the way. Pretty cheap in the long run compared to how much you save in watering, and you never mow. I frequent the front once a week to pluck a couple uglies, but if I spray weed killer I normally don't have to do crap out front all summer. Best thing we ever invested in.

[theirishavenger]

I guess if it were me I'd make a habit of doing a little sweep around the house when I get home, before I even get inside, every night. You got automatic sprinklers, or not? Maybe just take 1/2 hour after you get home to throw a hose out with a little sprinkler head?

'Course, working 7 days a week from 4am to 8pm...yeesh...I don't need the money THAT bad. Hope you're not working that just to make the mortgage. Dial down your work hours and actually spend some quality time with your house...you know...snuggle up, whisper sweet nothings in it's eaves....caress its lawn..... :shrug::flipoff2::D:beer:

[Aaron]

I could get some kids to deal with the weeds along the side of the house, it's just the stuff that changes everyday like water melting and trash blowing that pisses me off. I can't stay at home all day waiting for the wind to blow to jump outside and fix my lawn. Well thanks for the advice, I guess really I just needed a good rant.

Does the inspector write the time of day on the tickets? You may want to figure out when he/she is in your area and talk with him/her personally. They are just trying to deal with complaints in your area. In person, you can get a good feel of what exactly you are required to do, and what the actual inspector will be looking for. And you can also explain your situation. Who knows, maybe if you show the inspector that you are trying he/she will lighten up a little.

[scottycards]

This kind of thing is why we moved to a tightly controlled HOA neighborhood.

No commercial vehicles on the streets, no RV parking, lawns must be maintained to spec, even landscape is mandated under a set of rules, so we don't have freaks putting in all gravel, etc. We know the rules, and recently had to fork out a bunch of dough to have an 8 foot pine tree that was dying replaced, per the HOA.

But that kind of stuff keeps our property values intact. So it's worth it.

It sounds like your neighbors need to move to an HOA neighborhood.

Still sucks that you're getting ticketed. Seems kinda petty to me, but I guess whatever floats their boat.

[bsaunder]

Why don't you say fawk it and xeroscape (is that the right spelling??). We moved into our house, and the front was nothing but rose bushes, day lilies, weeds, and bees/wasps. We borrowed by brother in law's skid loader and did some adjusting to how the tiers were laid out, then it was weed barrier and gravel all the way. Pretty cheap in the long run compared to how much you save in watering, and you never mow. I frequent the front once a week to pluck a couple uglies, but if I spray weed killer I normally don't have to do crap out front all summer. Best thing we ever invested in.


what you did was zero-scape; xeriscape can actually be quite impressive to look at, but does take effort to properly do - however once properly setup it takes very little maintenance and little to zero watering (thats the point of it). I've lived in apartments and condos with only gravel - lots of dust, and a lot more heat is reflected; no thanks.

[Aaron]

This kind of thing is why we moved to a tightly controlled HOA neighborhood.

No commercial vehicles on the streets, no RV parking, lawns must be maintained to spec, even landscape is mandated under a set of rules, so we don't have freaks putting in all gravel, etc. We know the rules, and recently had to fork out a bunch of dough to have an 8 foot pine tree that was dying replaced, per the HOA.

Where in the heck would you guys be able to park an RV or trailer or boat then??? A friend of my sister's lives in your (or your bro's or both of yours??) neighborhood. There is NO room for bigger garages to keep that stuff! Don't get me wrong, the neighborhood looks great, but how do you get your toys out to the playgrounds??? Rent a storage place???

[scottycards]

Where in the heck would you guys be able to park an RV or trailer or boat then??? A friend of my sister's lives in your (or your bro's or both of yours??) neighborhood. There is NO room for bigger garages to keep that stuff! Don't get me wrong, the neighborhood looks great, but how do you get your toys out to the playgrounds??? Rent a storage place???

There are a bunch of homes out there with double-deep garages- you can't really tell that they are double-deep from the street, but they are.

Rented storage is the other option.

I've gotta tell you, I'm so friggin glad there's not all that kind of crap cluttering up the street. It looks damn nice when you turn down our street. All the lawns are killer, no crazy out of place xeriscapes, no rusty trailers or work vans parked with ladders on them, etc.

It's just friggin' pleasant.

I know, elitist, snobby, whatever........but I like it. At my old house, our neighbor had a towing service. Several tow trucks parked nightly really added to the ambiance, let me tell ya.....

[Leon Phelps]

There are a bunch of homes out there with double-deep garages- you can't really tell that they are double-deep from the street, but they are.

Rented storage is the other option.

I've gotta tell you, I'm so friggin glad there's not all that kind of crap cluttering up the street. It looks damn nice when you turn down our street. All the lawns are killer, no crazy out of place xeriscapes, no rusty trailers or work vans parked with ladders on them, etc.

It's just friggin' pleasant.

I know, elitist, snobby, whatever........but I like it.

I do have to admit that that does suck for the blue collar working man that brings in the cashflow to live like that, and cannot due to not being able to "bring his work" home.

[JKTODD]

Too bad the economy sucks right now. You could sell it and move into a loft where maintenance people take care of everything.

[JKTODD]

There are a bunch of homes out there with double-deep garages- you can't really tell that they are double-deep from the street, but they are.

Rented storage is the other option.

I've gotta tell you, I'm so friggin glad there's not all that kind of crap cluttering up the street. It looks damn nice when you turn down our street. All the lawns are killer, no crazy out of place xeriscapes, no rusty trailers or work vans parked with ladders on them, etc.

It's just friggin' pleasant.

I know, elitist, snobby, whatever........but I like it. At my old house, our neighbor had a towing service. Several tow trucks parked nightly really added to the ambiance, let me tell ya.....

All you have to worry about is stray golf balls and teachers that like to sleep around!:flipoff2:

[ZappBranigan]

See this sounds fricken communist colorado I bought the place it pay my money I can do with it what I want.


So if I live next to you, you're OK with me putting in a combination toxic waste dump/hog farm/junkie rehab facility?

Where do you live again? :P



I hate HOA's they are for nothing people that can't stay out of my business. I say you don't like my place you move. They aren't the police or the courts. How the heck HOA's became the govenment beats me. Fawk HOA's they are taking my rights to freedom away. Same BS you can't fly a flag or you didn't pay me money so I can put a lean on your house. This the very reason I will never ever live in a place with a HOA.

If you read the thread you'll see this was not an HOA this was city code enforcement. ;)

[scottycards]

I do have to admit that that does suck for the blue collar working man that brings in the cashflow to live like that, and cannot due to not being able to "bring his work" home.

Hell, he's got plenty of options- get one of the ones with big garages, etc, or just park the rig at the office at night.

Our neighbors own a bunch of the mexi radio stations in town. Occassionally they park the "Viva La Cucaracha radio 95AM" bus out there (or whatever it says).

Pizzez me off.

Yeah, golfers and whacko teachers are our main neighborhood menaces.

[Oscar]

So if I live next to you, you're OK with me putting in a combination toxic waste dump/hog farm/junkie rehab facility?

Where do you live again? :P



If you read the thread you'll see this was not an HOA this was city code enforcement. ;)
And thats why I said change the city council and change the rules HOA are just nosey neighbors on power trips. I abide by the law of society but not neighbors who are asses.

[Bauer]

I love my HOA and GJ code enforcement.. Matter of fact I wish they had a little bit more power..

I’m not even joking. My neighbors new thing is removing clutter from his dead back yard, buy putting things on his roof.. I really enjoy the view of Mt. Garfield with a sit and spin, swing of some sort and a big wheel at the same time.. :rolleyes:

[colombiapunk]

I'm actually considering running for city council this next time around. I do think I need to be a more responsible home owner, I do think that hazardous chemicals, junk cars on lawn, things like that should be against a city code. But I think a few candy bar wrappers in someone's yard and a running, moving, truck being 2 inches on the grass is just being unreasonable. I also think $999 fines, the kind that are putting people into foreclosure, are not exactly raising home values or raising the image of the city.

I know it takes along way to get to that $999 fine but when they are nailing you for trash that blows into your yard randomly... That's a tricky one. I have talked to the inspector about it. He simply said it doesn't matter how the trash got there. It was there so it's a violation.

Also having the non-refundable charge of contesting the ticket be almost as much as the ticket I feel is unreasonable.

These are the points I'm having a problem with. My yard not looking as nice as my neighbor's, I'm definitely guilty of that. Maybe to the point of getting a fine, but that's not what I have a problem with. I am paying the fine, and having landscapers that I do printing for come out and do some work.

[Bauer]

a running, moving, truck being 2 inches on the grass is just being unreasonable.
.

Agreed. Sounds like they have your number. The HOA feller where I live literally walks by every morning to see what my neighbor is doing.. Lets just say they don't see eye to eye. :eek:

[ZappBranigan]

a running, moving, truck being 2 inches on the grass is just being unreasonable.

How many inches would be a "reasonable" amount to start ticketing people? Three? Six? Twelve?

There's value to having "bright line" rules in law. If you have one rule, then everybody knows where they stand. If the code says you can't park on the grass, it doesn't mean you can park 2 inches onto the grass but not 3 inches onto the grass. It means no parking on the grass.

Seems to me it's a lot easier to enforce a "no parking on the grass" rule than it is to enforce a "two inches is okay but four inches is too far" rule.

[Cyclemut]

So if your tires are aired down, and the tread is on the concrete, but your sidewall is hanging over (but not touching) the grass, then you're OK? One can argue any point.

If the grass is dead where you park, then it should be against the rule. If you're taking care of your lawn, but your tires aren't causing damage TO YOUR OWN PROPERTY then it should be viewed as acceptable.

I think that rule can be interpreted as not having your vehicle in your lawn. I mean really, this isn't Arkansas. We don't want Camaros up on cinder blocks acting as shade for your 14 bloodhounds.

[Speedwagon]

How many inches would be a "reasonable" amount to start ticketing people? Three? Six? Twelve?

There's value to having "bright line" rules in law. If you have one rule, then everybody knows where they stand. If the code says you can't park on the grass, it doesn't mean you can park 2 inches onto the grass but not 3 inches onto the grass. It means no parking on the grass.

Seems to me it's a lot easier to enforce a "no parking on the grass" rule than it is to enforce a "two inches is okay but four inches is too far" rule.

So, if your bumper is hanging over onto the grass, should you get a ticket? I mean, you are "on the grass" are you not?

[Aaron]

So, if your bumper is hanging over onto the grass, should you get a ticket? I mean, you are "on the grass" are you not?
No you are "over" the grass. Parking "on" the grass would mean there is contact.

[Speedwagon]

No you are "over" the grass. Parking "on" the grass would mean there is contact.

So ones tire could easily be "over' the grass 2 inches, and NOT be on the grass. There are many driveways that are raised up a bit over the lawn.

[Aaron]

So ones tire could easily be "over' the grass 2 inches, and NOT be on the grass. There are many driveways that are raised up a bit over the lawn.

So you just want to argue lately huh? That's fun! :beer:

[Mcstiff]

Vista Ridge Scotty?

[jtw2]

I really don't think the city code is giving him a ticket because the wind blew and a piece of trash landed on the lawn.

I view this as a typical cop thread on this board. "so I was only going 15 miles an hour over the speedlimit and the Nazi gave me a ticket!"

I think he's minimizing how much he's neglecting his lawn. He lives where there are rules so his choices are abide by the rules or move to where there are no rules.

[CGuava]

Part of being a home owner is being responsible for your property. If you can't handle it because of work, then you should either:

A) Move to a place where the maintenance is done for you.

B) Pay someone to take care of it for you.

There are TONS of automatic irrigation system for your lawn. One solid round to kill/pull weeds and you should be golden. Then water (if not a total loss) and let it green up.

While I'm not an advocate screaming that HOA's should be mandatory, there's a reason why I recently purchased a home in a covenant community. I absolutely do not want to live next to the guy who owns a port-o-potty business and parks his trailer full of portoshitters in the driveway (I know this from experience), Longboy should know about it ;). Your home is your retreat from the world, last thing I want is my neighbor to ruin it for me.

Basically, yes, it's your property, but rules are set out for reasons, if you can't follow them, find a place where you can fit in. I agree with jtw2, these tickets wouldn't be so frequent if they didn't have a reason to target you. And to me it sounds like there's more to this story.

[Speedwagon]

I really don't think the city code is giving him a ticket because the wind blew and a piece of trash landed on the lawn.

I view this as a typical cop thread on this board. "so I was only going 15 miles an hour over the speedlimit and the Nazi gave me a ticket!"

I think he's minimizing how much he's neglecting his lawn. He lives where there are rules so his choices are abide by the rules or move to where there are no rules.

You have a point there.

[Speedwagon]

So you just want to argue lately huh? That's fun! :beer:

:confused:

edit: Nevermind, it's pointless.

[ZappBranigan]

So, if your bumper is hanging over onto the grass, should you get a ticket? I mean, you are "on the grass" are you not?

Well, if you don't have any wheels I guess your bumper would be "on" the grass. :rolleyes:

[osirus82]

what city is this again? I too would say i dont keep up as much on my front and back yard, and constantly the wind blows trash in my yard from my neighbors an it gets stuck in my chainlink fence but i have never see a letter or gotten a ticket for anything. well except maybe a parking ticket on stree sweeping day, I live in denver too. and i agree the HOA are nothing but d)nky r$ping S!it eaters. but i dont live in a hoa so i dont care. maybe I dont get tickets or warnings cuz all i'd have to do is walk down the street and take pictures of all the crap the city is supposed to do that they dont and report it, they would have to pay a butt load to make it proper. but the city did come and clean off the graffiti from my garage they didnt do to bad matching the color either.

[T&C]

well if you moved in HOA the yard standards shouldbe met... well atleast somewhat green and mowed... but the other stuff seems out of line

I used to live in one and next to old ladies and a president who had nothing better to do with their time but look out the window for any faults.

My dog pooped in MY front yard... I go to get a bag to pick it up from my kitchen I as I open my front door and Lady starts screaming at me to pick it up!

Was washing my car.... I was still out there
Lady comes out screaming to clean it up!
I scream back WHEN I'M DONE!!!! BACK OFF!!!
I'm at MY house doing normal stuff

put the house for sell and get out of HOA

[bsaunder]

the reading comprehension in here isn't too great -

The OP does NOT live in an HOA; it is CITY codes that have been broken and the tickets are being written for.

For the frequency, either the code enforcement officer has a think for ya; or more likely you have a neighbor that is calling it in constantly.

As for the actual intent of the post which was the cost of the fines and how quickly they go up - sounds like a decent gripe to me; however unless you are planning on taking it to the city counsel, you really don't have a leg to stand on. The rules were still there when you bought, so by default, you agreed to them when you bought.

[colombiapunk]

I definitely accept responsibility for my purchase of the house. I paid the fine yesterday and set into motion the landscapers. Not trying to get out of the rules. I wrote the original post because I was pissed at the city for nit picking and writing tickets for blowing trash (not anything anyone can fix, can be clear when I leave the house and there when the inspector shows up), and a poorly designed street that i don't own and am being held responsible for, and particularly for nit picking during a time when many people that didn't make good choices (glad I got a fixed) are having their ARMs jump (they're fault, not the city's), and are having to work extremely long hours and be away from their homes alot (not why I'm working long hours) to barely squeak by. Yes it's their fault, not asking for a bail out, but I think the city, the neighborhood, and everyone involved would be a little better off with a more reasonably priced ticket, and with inspectors that weren't so nit picky.

Think weeds are lowering home values? Try foreclosures.

Not suggesting amnesty, not suggesting that people that made stupid home buying decisions deserve any bailouts. Just suggesting not ticketing people for things they can't prevent, and not ticketing amounts equal to their mortgage payments for blown in trash.

[ZappBranigan]

everyone involved would be a little better off with a more reasonably priced ticket,

What would be the deterrent value of a "reasonably priced" ticket? :confused:

The whole purpose of ticketing you is to make you pay a fine high enough that you'll change your behavior in the future. Pricing it "reasonably" would defeat the purpose of giving you one.

IOW, paying a fine is supposed to hurt. :shrug:

[Speedwagon]

What would be the deterrent value of a "reasonably priced" ticket? :confused:

The whole purpose of ticketing you is to make you pay a fine high enough that you'll change your behavior in the future. Pricing it "reasonably" would defeat the purpose of giving you one.

IOW, paying a fine is supposed to hurt. :shrug:

Yes, but at the same time, they shouldn't charge you a non-refundable $100 to contest it, even if you win. It should be a fair system so that you get a full refund of your money, if the government is in the wrong!

[TwoDogs]

The city is in need of money, that's for sure. Dickenpooper needs to fund all of his anti-violence, anti-graffiti and anti-gang crap that hasn't been working at all for another year.

If ya hear Mayor Pooperscooper tell it. Denver doesn't have a gang problem! :lmao:
When my wife and I were looking for a house. One of my first requirements was, NO HOA.
I used to work for a prpoerty management company, managing HOA's. SWEET SCREAMING JESUS!! All of the HOA boards were made up of 80 something old farts. All they had, was time to screw with the residents who worked and had a life. NEVER AGAIN!! :flipoff:

[meatblanket]

There's value to having "bright line" rules in law. If you have one rule, then everybody knows where they stand. If the code says you can't park on the grass, it doesn't mean you can park 2 inches onto the grass but not 3 inches onto the grass. It means no parking on the grass.

True. And perhaps you wouldn't gripe if you were pulled over and issued a traffic citation for going 1 mph over the speed limit, but I sure as hell would.

Maybe fines for parking on the grass should be levied on a "per inch" basis! ;)

[Rando]

i guess it's easy to be judgmental when you're not on the receiving end of a ticket for having trash from the street blow in your yard eh?

[Cyclemut]

Maybe one could 'invent' a little robotic lawn vacuum that randomly roams around the yard sucking up all the trash, leaves and whatnot that collect during the day.

Let the city give a ticket on that little bad boy! Of course, if it had rubber tires, you might get a ticket for parking on your grass again. What about big wheel tires?

[colombiapunk]

I have a roomba, think they make mudders for some big 3 inchers?

[Cyclemut]

Probably find some from the R/C guys. Might be onto something there!