Community members tired of overgrown lawns, push for city to fine property owners not up to code

 

Laurens, SC: Vacant properties owners could face significant fines for not maintaining lawns, come this summer.

 

The City Council has proposed a tall grass ordinance change to push owners of properties vacant or occupied to keep lawns in presentable fashion, so as to prevent negative impact to the rest of the community members that maintain their property’s appeal.

 

The proposed ordinance will likely include language where the city notifies property owners of the overgrowth of the lawns, then allots up to a few weeks to have the property in line with height specifications.

 

In the case of noncompliance, the city would enlist maintenance professionals to bring the property up to code, with the cost of the maintenance being covered as a fine to the property owner.

 

The suggested fine rate would, depending on scope of project, add $100 to $1,100 to the property owner’s yearly property tax total.

 

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