City of Ypsilanti uses Ordinance Enforcement Inappropriately
Last year around this time, I took a two week vacation to California. I mowed my lawn the evening before I left. I knew it would be longish after two weeks but I planned on mowing it when I got back. When I returned, however, the lawn was freshly mowed. I thought it was my neighbors trying to be nice and I wasn’t sure how to react because in addition to mowing the grass, they mowed a garden full of perennials and rose bushes that hadnt yet bloomed. I decided that I shouldn’t be angry with them because their intentions were good and I decided to thank them.
It turns out, however, that it wasn’t them. It was the City of Ypsilanti. I discovered this a few weeks later when I got a bill in the mail for $135. I was upset at the time because while the city took it upon themselves to mow my lawn, they neglected to mow the lawn of the lot next door, which they owned. They did not provide me with any notice that they were going to do this. I was also upset because I found it difficult to believe that the lawn had grown high enough to be in violation of the city ordinance in just two weeks, even considering that lawns tend to grow fast in May. I decided not to fight them though but instead sent a letter along with my check where I spelled out why I was upset about the city’s actions. It was a letter that went unacknowledged except that they cashed my check and mowed the lawn next door for the only time all season.
This morning, it seems that I have had a repeat of last year’s lawn incident. Luckily, today is my day off so I was home. The dogs started to bark at some people outside and when I went to see whom it was, I saw a man beginning to mow my lawn. I immediately went outside to tell him to stop. He told me that the city had instructed him to mow my lawn. When I went back inside to get my camera so I could take pictures in order to fight this, he began mowing again. The second time I was more assertive and he called someone and apparently received permission to stop mowing on the condition that I promise to mow the lawn today (I did make that promise).
One has to wonder what the city’s motivation is. Is it to make the city look nicer? I would believe that except that the city regularly ignores ordinances regarding vacant and derelict buildings. I will also note that they did not provide me with any notice that they were intending to undertake this action. I have to wonder if this sort of ordinance enforcement is really designed to hit city residents in the pocketbook and is a way for them to beef up the city coffers in an especially underhanded way. I realize that the city is cash strapped but surely there must be a better way than harassing honest tax paying citizens to raise money.
Would you like to see the sort of lawn the city feels is so out of control that they must take it upon themselves to mow it? Here are some photos I took immediately after chasing off the lawn mower guys but before mowing it myself (I did promise after all)
and here is a photo of guys the city has doing their dirty work
I will also note that they cut the grass VERY low to the ground while I intentionally allow my grass to be a bit longer. I set my lawn mower on the highest setting when I mow. I do this because that sort of lawn mowing is much better for the environment.
addendum I have just finished mowing. I cant find my ruler so I couldnt measure the grass before I mowed it. But my lawn mower, when set at the highest setting mows the grass so that it is 3 inches high. When I mowed, I took off only about an inch in some parts and about two inches in other parts. There were some patches here and there that were around 6-7 inches high. I wasnt able to find the ordinance on the city web site but I have to wonder if I was even in violation. Perhaps for those patches which probably add up to around two square feet. If those do violate the ordinance in a strict interpretation, I am quite sure that my lawn did not violate the spirit of any lawn ordinances.
It turns out, however, that it wasn’t them. It was the City of Ypsilanti. I discovered this a few weeks later when I got a bill in the mail for $135. I was upset at the time because while the city took it upon themselves to mow my lawn, they neglected to mow the lawn of the lot next door, which they owned. They did not provide me with any notice that they were going to do this. I was also upset because I found it difficult to believe that the lawn had grown high enough to be in violation of the city ordinance in just two weeks, even considering that lawns tend to grow fast in May. I decided not to fight them though but instead sent a letter along with my check where I spelled out why I was upset about the city’s actions. It was a letter that went unacknowledged except that they cashed my check and mowed the lawn next door for the only time all season.
This morning, it seems that I have had a repeat of last year’s lawn incident. Luckily, today is my day off so I was home. The dogs started to bark at some people outside and when I went to see whom it was, I saw a man beginning to mow my lawn. I immediately went outside to tell him to stop. He told me that the city had instructed him to mow my lawn. When I went back inside to get my camera so I could take pictures in order to fight this, he began mowing again. The second time I was more assertive and he called someone and apparently received permission to stop mowing on the condition that I promise to mow the lawn today (I did make that promise).
One has to wonder what the city’s motivation is. Is it to make the city look nicer? I would believe that except that the city regularly ignores ordinances regarding vacant and derelict buildings. I will also note that they did not provide me with any notice that they were intending to undertake this action. I have to wonder if this sort of ordinance enforcement is really designed to hit city residents in the pocketbook and is a way for them to beef up the city coffers in an especially underhanded way. I realize that the city is cash strapped but surely there must be a better way than harassing honest tax paying citizens to raise money.
Would you like to see the sort of lawn the city feels is so out of control that they must take it upon themselves to mow it? Here are some photos I took immediately after chasing off the lawn mower guys but before mowing it myself (I did promise after all)
and here is a photo of guys the city has doing their dirty work
I will also note that they cut the grass VERY low to the ground while I intentionally allow my grass to be a bit longer. I set my lawn mower on the highest setting when I mow. I do this because that sort of lawn mowing is much better for the environment.
addendum I have just finished mowing. I cant find my ruler so I couldnt measure the grass before I mowed it. But my lawn mower, when set at the highest setting mows the grass so that it is 3 inches high. When I mowed, I took off only about an inch in some parts and about two inches in other parts. There were some patches here and there that were around 6-7 inches high. I wasnt able to find the ordinance on the city web site but I have to wonder if I was even in violation. Perhaps for those patches which probably add up to around two square feet. If those do violate the ordinance in a strict interpretation, I am quite sure that my lawn did not violate the spirit of any lawn ordinances.