It isn't something you might expect Americans to face, tens of thousands of dollars in fines for essentially parking on their own property, for parking on the grass instead of the driveway. But it happens. That's the story of one woman who is trying to fight the situation that has turned into an expensive bill over code enforcement fines that are over $100k.
No parking on the grass
According to the town code you allegedly cannot park on grass, even if it's for your own property.
With fines of hundreds of dollars per day it added up to a huge sum and eventually went over the $100k mark. There was also fines for a cracked driveway and a fence that had damage apparently.
Now the woman facing the fines has gotten attorneys on her side that say the constitution should protect people from excessive fines and they are going to be appealing a recent decision against her.
This isn't the first time that a homeowner has faced an issue like this, doing something on their own property that they find out later they weren't allowed to do and could face costly fines over.
However, in a number of circumstances there are homeowners who have fought back against those fines and won, who knows if this situation will have the same outcome we will have to wait and see how the appeal goes.
A great picture of "freedom" is frequently painted for the U.S. but then you hear stories like this one and others where people are punished for parking on grass, not cutting their own grass, collecting rainwater, and other non-violent acts.
Sources:
https://reason.com/2019/05/08/florida-city-tries-to-steal-an-elderly-mans-house-over-uncut-grass/
https://www.koin.com/news/is-it-legal-to-collect-rainwater-in-your-state/
https://fee.org/articles/city-fines-elderly-man-30-000-over-uncut-grass-tries-to-steal-his-home/
There was a guy that wanted to have a garden in his front yard in one of the cities that I lived in as a kid. The city fined him for doing this on his own property. He was growing food but the city said you have to do that in your backyard. He sued the city and won. I loved that it turned out that way.
a story with a happy ending:)
And then that's when you have no choice but wonder this, that and that other one too. ;o)