Michigan Woman Faces 93 Days in Jail for Planting a Vegetable Garden

[TenPenny]

This is insanity.

On my way home from work I drive through a real wealthy town. Real nice houses, lawns etc. A right smack in the middle of all this wealth is a homeowner that is clearly a hoarder. His yard is covered with debris of all kinds, cars, trash barrels, piles of wood, you name it. The lawn is unkept, and you can see boxes piled up in all the windows.

I kind of get a kick out of it.

I know someone who is a hoarder. He has one sister, and when his father died, he got all of the money (being the son, and first born) and businesses, his sister got a small income from a trust, that reverts to the brother when she dies.

He buys stuff. Houses, trucks, tractors, motels, the contents of stores that go bankrupt. And he never sells anything. He had to buy an old motel to store more of his stuff in. And the town has ordered him to do some maintenance on his childhood home, as the front porch was falling off.

When his house gets so full of junk that he can't move, he buys another one, and starts over.

 

[petros]

I know someone like that . My junkle.

Sometimes he's my drunkle but that's a whole new storyline.

Guess who phoned for help moving?

Guess who is going on holidays that week?

 

[Ariadne]

If that were my neighbour, I'd just mow it myself.

I would too, but I don't have a lawnmower.

I know someone who is a hoarder. He has one sister, and when his father died, he got all of the money (being the son, and first born) and businesses, his sister got a small income from a trust, that reverts to the brother when she dies.

He buys stuff. Houses, trucks, tractors, motels, the contents of stores that go bankrupt. And he never sells anything. He had to buy an old motel to store more of his stuff in. And the town has ordered him to do some maintenance on his childhood home, as the front porch was falling off.

When his house gets so full of junk that he can't move, he buys another one, and starts over.

Sounds like a disorder of some sort.

 

[petros]

I would too, but I don't have a lawnmower.

That could be problematic. In Regina if I make a phone call I can get Fine Option (those working off court fines) people to come and mow and weed whack the alley. Nothing like that in your city?

 

[Ariadne]

That could be problematic. In Regina if I make a phone call I can get Fine Option (those working off court fines) people to come and mow and weed whack the alley. Nothing like that in your city?

I will suggest that the neighbours look into that possibility ... because something should be done sooner than later. The entire lawn will be ruined by the end of the summer, if it isn't already ruined right now with the coarse stalks of grass in seed.

 

[petros]

I will suggest that the neighbours look into that possibility ... because something should be done sooner than later. The entire lawn will be ruined by the end of the summer, if it isn't already ruined right now with the coarse stalks of grass in seed.

There should be a "noxious weed by-law" you might be able to utilize to have it cut too. Call the city and say the pollenating grasses are inducing asthma issues. Then they'll have no choice but send someone.

 

[Ariadne]

City bylaw would give a 48 hour notice with the threat of a fine, but I don't want to do that to a neighbour. They should be able to figure it out ... he's a neurologist, and cutting the grass shouldn't be that much of a stretch from shaving someone's head just before switching on the bone drill ... in fact, a vegetable garden would be quite all right with me too if that would be easier than cutting the grass.

 

[gopher]

No surprise!

Detroit has been ruled by Democrats for the last fifty years.

No pun intended, but since we are talking about gardens, you reap what you sow.

This incident took place in Oakland County which is predominantly Republican.

Oakland County elected officials

• County Executive: L. Brooks Patterson (Republican)
• Prosecuting Attorney: Jessica R. Cooper (Democrat) [7]
• Sheriff: Mike Bouchard (Republican)
• County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Bill Bullard, Jr. (Republican)
• County Treasurer: Andy Meisner (Democrat)
• Water Resources Commissioner: John P. McCulloch (Republican)
• Board of Commissioners: 25 members, elected from districts (15 Republicans, 10 Democrats)

 

[petros]

City bylaw would give a 48 hour notice with the threat of a fine, but I don't want to do that to a neighbour. They should be able to figure it out ... he's a neurologist, and cutting the grass shouldn't be that much of a stretch from shaving someone's head just before switching on the bone drill ... in fact, a vegetable garden would be quite all right with me too if that would be easier than cutting the grass.

Just because he's a neurologist doesn't mean he knows how to run a mower. I'd just call the city and get them to handle it.

I wish my camera wasn't broken. I'd show you a pic of a lawn on the next block over that will need a swather and hay baler to clean up. The grass is close to 60-70cm.

 

[Ariadne]

I guess so ... it doesn't look good - kind of like the place is unoccupied, but I know they're home.

 

[petros]

There is no excuse for a neurologist not to be able to buy or use a lawn mower. A decent mulcher mower is only $250. If welfare moms can mow their lawns in the "hood" a Dr can do it in a decent neighbourhood.

As for being neighbourly, I'd be pissed if my neighbour didn't keep up their yard.

 

[Ariadne]

I'm a single parent in the hood and my lawn is cut so yes, I suppose I should report the lawn. I wish I had the name of the owner so I could contact them and have them look after it.

 

[petros]

City Hall knows that too. The owner might be responsible for exterior maintenance. It's your neighbourhood too.

 

[Ariadne]

They probably saw me out there with my super lens, sneaking around in the mountain ash tree, taking photos ... and when the bylaw notice drops in their mailbox, they'll immediately remember me in the tree.

I wonder about that vegetable garden. Is it weed free, healthy and thriving, or is it dusty, wormy and a bit weedish.

 

[petros]

There is a pic. It's nicely done with well built raised beds. I'll dig it up.

Looks nice to me.

 

[Ariadne]

I read about the raised beds, but missed the photo ... so if it's a well tended garden, I don't see the problem. Would it help if she put a fence around the yard? I can't imagine that there's a rule about not planting a garden in a fenced yard where the sun shines and the rain is good.

 

[petros]

Regina is paying people $250 to go with xeriscape in their yards. She'd get paid to do that here.

 

[Ariadne]

Calgary created bylaws restricting community gardens ... encouraging communities to plant in a group plot on city land rather than in their yards. It's about going green, but it's also about keeping people from having thriving gardens (that might turn to weed) or chickens on their city lots.

 

[petros]

Calgary created bylaws restricting community gardens ... encouraging communities to plant in a group plot on city land rather than in their yards. It's about going green, but it's also about keeping people from having thriving gardens (that might turn to weed) or chickens on their city lots.

We have those too. BUT they charge fees and it's going going to turn out like recycling where you do all the work to sepearate the valueable goods, give them away and the city turns a profit selling raw good back to suppliers.

They pitched a plan here to collect organic matter for composting so a private company (that also sells the bins to collect) can sell it back to me as a valueable commodity. I wrote a letter to the Mayor saying I want in on that scam as long as the City keeps supplying the bull**** for free.

 

[Ariadne]

As soon as the City tries to manage the community's gardens, you know you're in trouble.

We just had the double bins distributed throughout the city. They sent along an amusing pamphlet about what to do with the garbage cans we already had, like turn them into gardens plots.