Woman Arrested for Not Watering Lawn

[Terrell]

I'm not blaming the officer, I'm blaming the people who come up with these stupid "laws". And I agree that she was wrong for not cooperating with the officer.

As for the fines, I can understand if someone has dead cars or trash always laying out on their property then yes they should be fined for that. But I don't see what the big deal is with having dead grass or weeds. And if it bothers somebody so much, then why don't they be a friendly neighbor and offer to water their grass or cut their weeds for them?

I agree, I think that for the most part people should be left alone as to how they treat their lawns. I think that unless it's an extreme case, such as what's described above, that the city should leave the resident alone. Besides, with respect to the ticket, is it really necessary to send an officer to deliver it, when a certified letter (which must be signed for upon delivery) handles the problem of her trying to say she didn't receive it? Law enforcement resources aren't infinite, they almost certainly have more important things to do than deliver tickets when it's really not necessary to have the officer deliver said ticket to have proof she received it.

[chadtm80]

I'm not blaming the officer, I'm blaming the people who come up with these stupid "laws". And I agree that she was wrong for not cooperating with the officer.

As for the fines, I can understand if someone has dead cars or trash always laying out on their property then yes they should be fined for that. But I don't see what the big deal is with having dead grass or weeds. And if it bothers somebody so much, then why don't they be a friendly neighbor and offer to water their grass or cut their weeds for them?

I agree, I think that for the most part people should be left alone as to how they treat their lawns. I think that unless it's an extreme case, such as what's described above, that the city should leave the resident alone. Besides, with respect to the ticket, is it really necessary to send an officer to deliver it, when a certified letter (which must be signed for upon delivery) handles the problem of her trying to say she didn't receive it? Law enforcement resources aren't infinite, they almost certainly have more important things to do than deliver tickets when it's really not necessary to have the officer deliver said ticket to have proof she received it.

Sure the officers have more important things to do.. So if they have to go out there and do it (as it is thier job) wouldnt it be prudent for the lady to just take the ticket and let the officer get out there and do what he needs to do to keep her and her loving son safe?

[alicia-w]

Look at this...
http://kob.com/article/stories/S103480.shtml?cat=504

$500 and 90 days in jail for having weeds.

i'm glad you posted that, because i was going to. one more reason why we live in the mountains here and not in the city. your grass cant be over 4 inches tall either, or they'll cite you. and you should see their animal control laws.......

[senorpepr]

on the contrary.. The roots are still there.. You would be amazed what watering can do for dead grass.. comes back in no time

Exactly. Where I live, we are required to water our lawns (and keep the grass under a certain height). For what it's worth, utilities--such as water--are paid for, so watering my lawn doesn't cut into my budget. Anyway, when we moved into our home just a month ago, our grass was similar to the Utah woman's. Granted, it didn't look as dead, but after the whopping 1/4" of rain in June, it was in need of serious help. After watering my lawn every day for an hour, my lawn has quickly sprung back to life. Yes, there are still some brown spots we are working on, but it's looking MUCH better.

[chadtm80]

Consitant watering for even just a week straight an hour a day would turn that lawn around quickly.. It wont turn the brown grass gree, but will allow to sprouts to pop up all over.. Grass is really just a weed.. dosent take much to get it going agian

[wxmann_91]

This isn't a surprise to me. Some homeowners' associations have made some extremely frivolous decisions. They want everything to follow their mores. Some high-ranking members will fine residents over anything (i.e. landscaping). They want to control every facet of your life! These incidents have been frequent in Florida, too. It is not restricted to a particular state. It's an unfortunate fact of life, especially because of the endless supply of lawsuits. These associations will not listen to residents. Occasionally, they have violated law enforcement.

In south Florida, many associations will replace residents' landscaping with tall trees. These replacements have featured poor positions, and they will topple in tropical storm-force winds. Despite the threat to structures, the homeowners' associations have plenty of ammunition on their sides. They can control your usage of indoor water supplies, too. I will never be surprised by their actions. Unfortunately, their practices have been wasteful, selfish, and gluttonous.

Agree. Here we have been issued warnings for not trimming our plants, having our grass too long, grass that's not green. Some of it's warranted but a lot of it is just forcing our community to have overly extravagant landscaping.

[Ptarmigan]

If I am correct, Utah is a in drought situation, so they should conserve water.

[O Town]

If I am correct, Utah is a in drought situation, so they should conserve water.

Yeah, around here in a drought there are water restrictions and you get tickets if you are caught watering on the wrong day or between the wrong hours.

[Terrell]

I'm not blaming the officer, I'm blaming the people who come up with these stupid "laws". And I agree that she was wrong for not cooperating with the officer.

As for the fines, I can understand if someone has dead cars or trash always laying out on their property then yes they should be fined for that. But I don't see what the big deal is with having dead grass or weeds. And if it bothers somebody so much, then why don't they be a friendly neighbor and offer to water their grass or cut their weeds for them?

I agree, I think that for the most part people should be left alone as to how they treat their lawns. I think that unless it's an extreme case, such as what's described above, that the city should leave the resident alone. Besides, with respect to the ticket, is it really necessary to send an officer to deliver it, when a certified letter (which must be signed for upon delivery) handles the problem of her trying to say she didn't receive it? Law enforcement resources aren't infinite, they almost certainly have more important things to do than deliver tickets when it's really not necessary to have the officer deliver said ticket to have proof she received it.

Sure the officers have more important things to do.. So if they have to go out there and do it (as it is thier job) wouldnt it be prudent for the lady to just take the ticket and let the officer get out there and do what he needs to do to keep her and her loving son safe?

It would be even more prudent, and cost-effective to send the ticket by certified mail. It's a minor violation, the city still has proof of her receiving the ticket (because one must sign for a certified letter) and it prevents an unnecessary confrontation between the police and the citizen.

[coriolis]

I'll take this as a reminder to go out and mow my weeds tonight.

[superg77]

I'd say the officer went way too far by arresting this woman for not watering her lawn. She's probably confused and might have Alzheimer’s/dementia if she hasn't watered her lawn in a year. It was really stupid to arrest her and scare her. There's going to be a lot more problems like this as the number of Alzheimer’s patients skyrockets from our aging population. I wouldn't want a stupid cop throwing my Grandma in jail.

[chadtm80]

I'd say the officer went way too far by arresting this woman for not watering her lawn. She's probably confused and might have Alzheimer’s/dementia if she hasn't watered her lawn in a year. It was really stupid to arrest her and scare her. There's going to be a lot more problems like this as the number of Alzheimer’s patients skyrockets from our aging population. I wouldn't want a stupid cop throwing my Grandma in jail.

Lets make it clear again however that he did NOT throw her in jail for not watering her lawn

[CajunMama]

I'd say the officer went way too far by arresting this woman for not watering her lawn. She's probably confused and might have Alzheimer’s/dementia if she hasn't watered her lawn in a year. It was really stupid to arrest her and scare her. There's going to be a lot more problems like this as the number of Alzheimer’s patients skyrockets from our aging population. I wouldn't want a stupid cop throwing my Grandma in jail.

This is how rumors get started. Except for her getting arrested, not one thing you said is written in that article.

Why the woman just didn't give her name in the first place i'll never understand. Oh...and they've now "enlisted the help of Los Angeles attorney and high profile activist, Gloria Allred". Who'd a thunk that? I guess Utah doesn't have any attorneys

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=1461736&nid=148

[superg77]

I'd say the officer went way too far by arresting this woman for not watering her lawn. She's probably confused and might have Alzheimer’s/dementia if she hasn't watered her lawn in a year. It was really stupid to arrest her and scare her. There's going to be a lot more problems like this as the number of Alzheimer’s patients skyrockets from our aging population. I wouldn't want a stupid cop throwing my Grandma in jail.

This is how rumors get started. Except for her getting arrested, not one thing you said is written in that article.

Why the woman just didn't give her name in the first place i'll never understand. Oh...and they've now "enlisted the help of Los Angeles attorney and high profile activist, Gloria Allred". Who'd a thunk that? I guess Utah doesn't have any attorneys

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=1461736&nid=148

They have every right to hire an attorney as anyone in the USA does. Alzheimer’s and dementia is a huge growing nationwide problem. It is quite possible this is why the woman was so confused and I thought that might be a reason why she resisted the ticket. That's why I brought it up. Is Alzheimer’s a topic not allowed here or something? I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm just surprised anyone is defending her arrest. To me she sounds very confused and I think throwing her in jail was a stupid idea. I would be angry if my Grandma was arrested under these circumstances. Not every law in this country needs to be enforced with such gusto.

[chadtm80]

Now I just got to ask.. Is anyone who was outraged that the officer time and cities money was tied up dealing with this equally as mad that they are now going to tie up our court system with this lawsuit?

[TreasureIslandFLGal]

Definitely disturbed at the waste of tax dollars but, not as outraged as anyone being daft enough to tie up money and resourses to pursue a $54 million lawsuit over lost pants!!

Nothing seems to suprise me anymore. America the bored senseless!

[CajunMama]

I'd say the officer went way too far by arresting this woman for not watering her lawn. She's probably confused and might have Alzheimer’s/dementia if she hasn't watered her lawn in a year. It was really stupid to arrest her and scare her. There's going to be a lot more problems like this as the number of Alzheimer’s patients skyrockets from our aging population. I wouldn't want a stupid cop throwing my Grandma in jail.

This is how rumors get started. Except for her getting arrested, not one thing you said is written in that article.

Why the woman just didn't give her name in the first place i'll never understand. Oh...and they've now "enlisted the help of Los Angeles attorney and high profile activist, Gloria Allred". Who'd a thunk that? I guess Utah doesn't have any attorneys

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=1461736&nid=148

They have every right to hire an attorney as anyone in the USA does. Alzheimer’s and dementia is a huge growing nationwide problem. It is quite possible this is why the woman was so confused and I thought that might be a reason why she resisted the ticket. That's why I brought it up. Is Alzheimer’s a topic not allowed here or something? I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm just surprised anyone is defending her arrest. To me she sounds very confused and I think throwing her in jail was a stupid idea. I would be angry if my Grandma was arrested under these circumstances. Not every law in this country needs to be enforced with such gusto.

I will quote the original article, "That's what happened, though, when the officer tried enforcing Orem's nuisance ordinance against neglected yards. "I didn't want to tell him anything until I talked to a lawyer or my son. I wanted to see what he'd tell me to do.I've never had any experience before with the law, ever in my life," she said." Is it that difficult to give your name? She can't give her name out without contacting her son or attorney? To me, this is the same thing that happened in the wheelchair thread. All they had to do to avoid any conflict is give their name.

[superg77]

I will quote the original article, "That's what happened, though, when the officer tried enforcing Orem's nuisance ordinance against neglected yards. "I didn't want to tell him anything until I talked to a lawyer or my son. I wanted to see what he'd tell me to do.I've never had any experience before with the law, ever in my life," she said." Is it that difficult to give your name? She can't give her name out without contacting her son or attorney? To me, this is the same thing that happened in the wheelchair thread. All they had to do to avoid any conflict is give their name.

Right. It doesn't make any sense which again is why I suspect she might have dementia. This is the kind of thing people with dementia do. It's a huge problem in this country. The crazy million dollar pants lawsuit guy probably has it too. People with dementia sometimes do crazy things that normal people don't do. It's a logical guess on my part to suggest that she might have dementia.

[CajunMama]

or she's just looking for what she thinks is easy money for her.

[TreasureIslandFLGal]

Now that would truly be a frightening prospect!! The guy with the $54 million pants lawsuit is actually a sitting judge himself!! If he's got dementia, there may be alot of people in jail just 'cause he's crazy!!

Kind of a Judge Roy Bean scenario there!!