How do you mow waist high grass?

slowrev · Aug 1, 2006

Soundguy said:
Jimr.. it's probably code enforcement that is issueing those citations.. etc.

Same people who won't let you have non-tagged-non running vehicles in your yard.

Soundguy

In Lexington KY you can't even park your car on your own grass. they must be parked on a paved or gravel driveway or parking area. they will come into your property and write you a ticket. happened to me.

Soundguy · Aug 1, 2006

I can understand some issues related to property values.. but some of this stuff is just 'communist'..

Soundguy

Farmwithjunk · Aug 1, 2006

RegL said:
I can see not allowing junk yards, but requiring 5 acre groomed lawns is Communism. No meadows and wild flowers allowed? Next your going to tell me , theyall use that red mulch. LOL.

Quite a bit of difference between bush hogging a field of weeds and a groomed lawn. Inner city lots left un-mown tend to be havens for rats. The ordinance serves a purpose. It's more of a matter of the law going too far.

Farmwithjunk · Aug 1, 2006

dmccarty said:
Farmwithjunk,

Sounds like lawsuit time against the county/city. I did not realize that L'ville had merged with Jefferson county. I could see having the restriction on small lots. Maybe even a acre but 5 acres is beyond stupid. Our house sits on about 4.75 acres and to mow the areas that can't handle the tractor takes a good two hours. To mow with the DR the rest of the place would have to take a good 6-8 hours. Or does woods not count and only "open" areas have to be mowed....

Can't believe the city came to Jefferson county.....

Later,
Dan

All about bragging rights for a mayor who has aspirations of becoming the next Governor. The city/county merger took place almost 4 years ago. The mayor now has all the authority that was once his AND the "County Judge Executive". They tried to claim being the countries 16th largest city. The Census Beaureu (sp?) shot that down. There's still numerous "2nd class cities" with-in Jefferson County that Louisville CITY can't lay claim to. I'm eternally greatful we don't live in Jefferson County. (Bullitt County)

For the most part, wooded ground is reasonably excluded from mowing, as well as "wetlands" which comprise a great deal of southern Jefferson County. The long and short of it is having or NOT having a neighbor that files a complaint.

The irony of the whole deal? The #1 offender when it comes to keeping property clean and mowed? MSD (Metropolitan Sewer District) Owned by none other than THE CITY OF LOUISVILLE. And they fall through the cracks by combining all their total land holdings into one big number.

Kentucky politics, don't you love it!

firemanpat2910 · Aug 1, 2006

Did I just read that you got a ticket for parking your own car on your own grass? Did you actualy pay the ticket? There have to be rules, I understand this, BUT it would take take a brass pair to hand me a ticket for parking on my own grass. I am sure the little ticket would be minor compared to the jail time for kicking his arss. Not to mention the "contemt" of court charges if a judge actualy upheld such a bs ticket.

Farmwithjunk · Aug 1, 2006

firemanpat2910 said:
Did I just read that you got a ticket for parking your own car on your own grass? Did you actualy pay the ticket? There have to be rules, I understand this, BUT it would take take a brass pair to hand me a ticket for parking on my own grass. I am sure the little ticket would be minor compared to the jail time for kicking his arss. Not to mention the "contemt" of court charges if a judge actualy upheld such a bs ticket.

Keep in mind, we're talking about a state where the Governor and the State Attorney General are at war with each other, trying to control the state for their political parties. Little things like personal freedom and constitutional law shouldn't matter to them. (See Websters Dictionary for meaning of SARCASM)

slowrev · Aug 1, 2006

firemanpat2910 said:
Did I just read that you got a ticket for parking your own car on your own grass? Did you actualy pay the ticket? There have to be rules, I understand this, BUT it would take take a brass pair to hand me a ticket for parking on my own grass. I am sure the little ticket would be minor compared to the jail time for kicking his arss. Not to mention the "contemt" of court charges if a judge actualy upheld such a bs ticket.

Yep I paid the ticket. I have an allergy to jail.
And this law has been on the books for at least 15 yrs. Lexington /fayette county is a merged city county govt which sucks.

And this parking was just temporary, not permanent. The vehicle was liscensed and driven every day.

Farmwithjunk · Aug 1, 2006

slowrev said:
Yep I paid the ticket. I have an allergy to jail.
And this law has been on the books for at least 15 yrs. Lexington /fayette county is a merged city county govt which sucks.

And this parking was just temporary, not permanent. The vehicle was liscensed and driven every day.

Sometimes you can pound your chest and cry for justice. Other times it's just more convenient to just pay the ticket. In the end, it would have probably cost more than the car was worth to fight the ticket and then there was no certainty you would have won. And they KNOW it.

Bird · Aug 1, 2006

In Lexington KY you can't even park your car on your own grass. they must be parked on a paved or gravel driveway or parking area. they will come into your property and write you a ticket. happened to me.

We normally don't have any such laws or regulations outside city limits, but I think nearly every city or town has such an ordinance; no parking on "unimproved" surfaces in residential areas.

slowrev · Aug 1, 2006

What really got me about that bird, was that 2 metro cops in my neighborhood parked on their grass........I said enough, and moved to the sticks in NC. I am now back in KY, but in a very rural area.

scott_vt · Aug 1, 2006

John47 said:
I'm glad I don't have to put up with all that BS down here! I don't even need permits for building! Both Missouri and Arkansas have no state laws on formal building permits. So as long as your outside city limits, on 5 or more acres, do what you want!

When I lived in the foothills of the Sierras, local fire dept's required us to keep the grass down to a decent level, and all flammable materials well away from any structure, but that was because of the major scrub fires we had up there.

No building permits up here

Build what you want when you want

Thanks goodness for livin in the middle of nowhere

There are some benefits !!!

slowrev · Aug 1, 2006

Lots of benefits for those with the strength and independence to live in the middle of nowhere. I avoid big cities and route all my spending I can to my rural community. My trips to the "big city" are few and far between.
We had one murder in this county in 3 years. Lexington/Fayette has one daily it seems.

the_sandman_454 · Aug 2, 2006

IMO if they were going to get stupid with the unimproved parking area crap, I'd forgo the entire front yard in favor of gravel if it were within the rules. Use as many "annoying" colors on the home as possible, and go over the entire book of rules with a fine tooth comb for technicallities one can get away with.

Bird · Aug 2, 2006

the_sandman_454 said:
IMO if they were going to get stupid with the unimproved parking area crap, I'd forgo the entire front yard in favor of gravel if it were within the rules. Use as many "annoying" colors on the home as possible, and go over the entire book of rules with a fine tooth comb for technicallities one can get away with.

1. So you'd make enemies of all your neighbors,
2. You'd decrease the value of your own place as well as theirs, and
3. You'd have a reputation as a nut, but maybe you'd have fun.

I think they used to refer to that as "cutting off your nose to spite your face."

the_sandman_454 · Aug 2, 2006

Pretty much.

1) If these neighbors are whining about parking on the grass, they're probably not my friends anyhow, so I'm not going to shed a tear if they dislike me for following the rules.

2) Technically if the value of your place goes down so should the taxes (if applicable, which they are here). In my case I'd have no likely desire to sell at any point in the near future, so I'd be fine with that. Provided it's within the rules, I'd be fine with it. If anything it simply helps demonstrate just how stupid some of the rules are. No parking on the grass yeah, sure.

3) I probably already have a reputation as a nut, so that wouldn't bother me either. I enjoy annoying people who have to stick their nose in my business, especially if I can annoy them by following their stupid rules...

slowrev · Aug 2, 2006

Right on Sandman !

Ben

also a permit is required for adding to your driveway or parking area, so they got ya.
so I just leave those types of citys/areas for those who like to be told how to live and what to do.

Soundguy · Aug 2, 2006

Yep.. I don't like that 'rank and file' form of living .. where you have to ask the govt' for permission to do -anything-..

glad I live out in the unincorporated area of our county on a-1 land...

soundguy

Farmwithjunk · Aug 2, 2006

slowrev said:
Lots of benefits for those with the strength and independence to live in the middle of nowhere. I avoid big cities and route all my spending I can to my rural community. My trips to the "big city" are few and far between.
We had one murder in this county in 3 years. Lexington/Fayette has one daily it seems.

Where we live is still rural, unrestricted, and looks to be staying that way for a long time to come. I wouldn't want to live in a city, big OR small. What I call the "home town" (1-1/2 miles away from us) is almost "Mayberry" by Louisville's standards.

I have to make the drive into "the jungle" every day. (job) I see the reasons why the big city NEEDS those restrictions. People stacked on top of other people. Most would let the place turn into a dump if there wasn't some limitations.Granted, that's not for everyone. It's SURE not for me. And apparently, it's not for 99% of those who post here. BUT.... There seems to be a lot of folks who wouldn't live elsewhere.

The people I work with can't understand why I want to live "out in the boondocks". I can't fathom why they live where they do. Obviously, there's a few more of us that love the countryside. A 34 acre tract of land about a 1/4 mile from here sold last week.....for $1,900,000.00. New owner plans on building a single family dwelling on it.

ADin · Aug 2, 2006

I grew very close to you, and at that time I would definitely agree with with Mayberry comment. My parents are still within maybe 5-10 miles of you now and while still a bit rural, I would have to say Mayberry is growing up pretty fast from what I could tell last time I was down.

BTW - Once enough of those people plopping down $55.8k/acre for large acreage lots move in around you, you better believe they too will start influencing rules and laws (and taxes) around you. It happens quicker than you think.

Farmwithjunk · Aug 3, 2006

ADin said:
I grew very close to you, and at that time I would definitely agree with with Mayberry comment. My parents are still within maybe 5-10 miles of you now and while still a bit rural, I would have to say Mayberry is growing up pretty fast from what I could tell last time I was down.

BTW - Once enough of those people plopping down $55.8k/acre for large acreage lots move in around you, you better believe they too will start influencing rules and laws (and taxes) around you. It happens quicker than you think.

The guy who paid (IMHO, too much) all the money for the 34 acres is a "homey". There's a slow influx of new faces, but for the most part, any new developement in this immediate area is being controlled by those who are already here. In due time, there won't be anyplace in the eastern half of the U.S. that isn't restricted in some shape or form. But for the forseeable future, this little corner of the county is standing pat.

There's a "faction" (that I'm not going to elaborate on) that's got a stronghold on zoning, local government, and developement in general in this area. I'm not part of their circle of power but what they do is in my benefit. Their agenda involves controlling the environment they raise families in. Their motives are noble. The end result is good for me personally. I just don't agree with their tactics sometimes.

Bottom line is, this is a great place to live. Clean, very little crime, nice people, and not much "urban developement". I'm 25 minutes from work and 25 YEARS from the big city.