Grass Gestapo Comes to Florida

The man just figures he can tax anyone for anything. The man gonna get his.

An overgrown lawn could cost a homeowner $1,000 a day.
A plan to quadruple the penalty from the current maximum of $250 per day for a first violation is scheduled for consideration at Tuesday night's town council meeting.

A repeat violation by the same person would be boosted to $5,000 a day maximum from $500 per day.

If the code enforcement board finds that the violation is irreversible — the unapproved removal of an historic tree, for example — the violator would face a maximum fine of $15,000. The current maximum penalty is $5,000.

"That's outrageous," said Stefan Harzen, a member of the property owners association for the Woodland Estates neighborhood. Increasing the fines will not result in prettier neighborhoods, he said. "This is an easy way for the town to get more money," Harzen said.

Higher penalties are needed to deter flagrant violators, said Councilman Robert Friedman. A landlord who allows too many people to live in a house simply sees the current fine as a cost of doing business, he said.