Local Governments Charge for Neglected Lawns

When Mikhail Mazo of Buffalo Grove, Ill., came home last week, he discovered an uneven but fresh trim of his backyard. Not only did Mazo not want his lawn cut, but now he will be billed $125 for the unsolicited cut, he said.

A man mows grass and weeds to prepare a house to be sold in a foreclosure auction in Altadena,...

A man mows grass and weeds to prepare a house to be sold in a foreclosure auction in Altadena, California. With many towns facing an increase in foreclosed properties and abandoned homes, some local governments are taking action to maintain overgrown green.

(David McNew/Getty Images)

Apparently, mowing the lawn isn't just a job for neighborhood kids anymore.

Mazo was caught up in a recession-related trend that usually involves properties that -- unlike Mazo's home -- are still in foreclosure or are bank-owned.

As many towns face an increase in foreclosed or abandoned homes, local governments are taking action to maintain overgrown green -- and charging property owners dearly to do so.

"I was outraged by the way they did it," Mazo said. "In my opinion, I have the right to the quiet enjoyment associated with the ownership of my property."

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Buffalo Grove officials notified Mazo, 52, in the beginning of June that the grass on his property violated height restrictions. Mazo, who bought the house in November through a bank foreclosure process, cut the grass in his front lawn, but left alone the grass in his fenced backyard. Although a village official said private residents are given time to comply, Mazo plans to contest the fee. "We never like to get to that point," said Ghida Neukirch, Buffalo Grove's deputy village manager.

The problem of unwanted weeds has been exacerbated by the number of homes left uncared for as a result of foreclosure – a trend that is not unique to Buffalo Grove.

"We have a difficult time tracking down the ownership of an abandoned property," Neukirch said. "We've got the renter's name, then the renter leaves. We're looking at a registration program that will help our efforts a little."

In neighboring Northbrook, Ill., village officials will send its own workforce to mow overgrown lawns after multiple notifications -- at the homeowner's expense.

The cost: typically $136 an hour, said Kelly Hamill, Northbook's assistant director of public works.

In just the last month, the village has already mowed the lawns of 13 homes, a high figure that Hamill attributes to the number of foreclosures in the area.