It’s worth a nickel
I don’t really love my neighbor. You know that already.
Her latest maneuver, borne either of her laziness or her desire to irritate me (or both), is to refuse to mow her lawn. Paul has mowed the lawn twice, and will likely go for round three, in the time it has taken her to mow only part of her front lawn.
In my frustration, I’m falling back on two of my favorite things: Google and the law. (I use the former to find the details of the latter.)
So according to the New York State Property Maintenance Code, Chapter 3, Section 302, Part 4, “All premises and immediate exterior property shall be maintained free from [all grasses, annual plants and vegetation] in excess of 10 inches.” I need to get out a ruler.
But the funny part is, the Town of Poughkeepsie extends this rule, for vacant or abandoned properties, by its local law, Chapter 159, Section 5: “Lawns or other ground cover shall be kept trimmed to a height of no greater than six inches.”
Isn’t that bizarre? If she moved out, she’d have to keep it at six inches, but since she lives there, hey, 10 is fine.
Either way, I need a ruler.
That’s interesting – so you can’t have flowers that grow bigger than 10 inches? What about black eyed susans – they’re bigger than that!
But I agree. For chrissakes woman! Mow your lawn!
Terri, you can… “cultivated flowers and gardens” are exempt from the height requirement. I’d be in big trouble if I had to keep all my flowers under 10 inches!
OMG…my lawn is a wreck right now…and I am sure I am the bad neighbor.
Well PJ, it’ll be no surprise to you that karma got me back for calling… our lawn mower broke the day after I called. $165 later, we’re back in business.