Woman faces Jail over growing veggies in her own yard...

[Kat09Tails]

Actually it's not. Your business is a property right term. Your neighbor's property in most cases is not your interest because YOU don't have a financial stake in it unless you are actively trying to sell your home. At that point it becomes your business and I would think you might have a weak claim to ask them to clean up garbage but again, you don't have the right to tell them how to live their lives. You do not have the right to dictate to others the state of their property anymore than you have the right to tell someone how often they need to wash their car because it's on your street. It just doesn't work that way nor should it because stuff that is isolated to your neighbors yard .

I've got experience with two HOAs. The first primarily uses their funds to maintain a private road and the community water system. They don't care how your yard looks, how many dogs you have, where you put your vege garden, and imo they are a good HOA. The board there on occasion gets a petition from a new neighborhood member who wants to pass a rule about lighting or whatever mundane stupid thing. The first question from the board is always Have you spoken to the neighbor yet?

The second is far more draconian and I have a small evil niche in my heart for getting around their rules because this neighborhood is frankly notexclusive except for a wealth of bank foreclosed homes. Nothing says stylin' like the words repossessed, reduced, and auction. Like they passed a rule last year banning blue tarps. So I got a hunter orange camo one to cover my boat. You know... it's camo (thanks Cabelas) so it won't be an eyesore now lol and I make sure to follow their rules.

In this case this is a city code issue and beauty and suitable should be in the eye of the beholder. Personally I think veggies are beautiful, lawns are beautiful, and pavement is ugly. So I pick what is suitable for me on my property.

 

[Greenmagick]

We should all be encouraged to grow veg... it should ADD to value of property!

THANK you!

 

[Gypsydals]

I can pretty much guarantee she does not live in a HOA home. I'm not even sure if they have those in Detriot, if they do they are very large yards and houses. Where she lives that is probably the best spot for growing veggies. And it seems she is trying to involve the younger generation. Which to me is always a good things. To me its a win win situation. Then younger kids get to experience a veggie garden, help keep in weeded and enjoy the benefits of fresh veggies. Not to mention if they are helping out in the garden, then they are not on the streets causing trouble.

So to me if she is not in a HOA home, then it really is none of her neighbors business what she is doing.

 

[sparks19]

See, but its not your house so really none of your business .

yes it's THEIR house but it could affect the resale value of MY house.

that being said... I could never live in a HOA. I don't take near well enough care of my yard to comply with that lol but when my neighbors leave junk all over their yard... it WILL affect me when it comes time to sell my house.

But I don't live in an HOA so I can't very well complain about it and really the mess is the least of our worries. their behaviour is what is going to make it really difficult when it comes time to sell lol

 

[GipsyQueen]

Not all veggie gardens in front yards look that though. We only have a front yard. Mostly because in Germany the properties are MUCH smaller and not as over-sized as the ones in the USA. And also because on our side of the street all the houses are towards the back of property, so that our garden is to the south side and there for sunny.
I LOVE our garden. The "older" it gets, the prettier it gets. We don't have perfect rows of bushes, that all look the same or alternating red and yellow flowers. We even, oh gasp, have a wooden fence towards the front. :yikes: Our bushes are mix and match, some of them have flowers, a part of them towards the side of property are blackberries and raspberries. We have a cherry tree and an apple tree, all in our front yard. We also have a pretty big veggie garden in the upper left hand corner.
Not all veggie gardens towards the front of the house look ugly like the one on the picture.

 

[Gypsydals]

Meh - if it was old abandoned cars, rubbish and grot then fair enough. We should all be encouraged to grow veg... it should ADD to value of property!

Agreed!

 

[sparks19]

I grow veggies in our back yard... and I can tell you there is nothing asthetically pleasing about the way my garden looks LOL it looks like a jungle. It looks like it would grow arms and eat someone's kids lol

 

[Dizzy]

If you're buying a plot then it is yours to do with what you will. UNLESS - it affects those around you. Veggies are not criminal, ugly or any other negative I can think of.

 

[sparks19]

If you're buying a plot then it is yours to do with what you will. UNLESS - it affects those around you. Veggies are not criminal, ugly or any other negative I can think of.

Unless you buy that plot in a home owners association and then no you dont get to do whatevrr you want with your plot. But you know the rules before you buy into one

And i dont live in one and i cant tell my neighbors what to do (unless its noise ordinance and such). But the way they keep their yard can affect my property value.

 

[Psyfalcon]

Jesse, your pictures... out here, the first two would be nearly million dollar homes, and the third one, under 200k. Its a bit apples and oranges to compare them, even a grass, no veggie yard would not likely looks as good as the two above. Professional yard care vs someone who has to take care of it themselves.

 

[Renee750il]

IMO, I think this:

and this:

are much more attractive than this:

Again, if she's not living in an HOA then it should be her business to do what she wants in her front yard... but I don't think it's attractive from the street at all.

Kind of unfair to compare a couple of McMansions to a bungalow

 

[~Jessie~]

It's just the lawn.

Here, are these better for you?

Small homes, beautiful yards. MUCH better than boxes.

 

[release the hounds]

how about you show us a front yard that has just been ripped up by a municipality putting in new sewers, one with no grass no nothing. Because that is what happened to the yard in question. It was torn up and they took the time to do a good job building boxes, putting in FOOD for crying out loud, and the mulching around those boxes. The front half appears to have grass planted that hasn't come in yet.

You may not like growing your own food or the look, but I can't seriously believe there are people out there so delusional to compare putting in some plantar boxes with having a junk yard and bringing down property values.

 

[Greenmagick]

I am just happy I have awesome neighbors. We have almost a half acre yard, but the back yard is a postage stamp...not even that really, its just a thin strip that runs behind the house. Our yard is all side and front. SO yep, our front yard is full of kids toys, bikes, etc...the dogs run around out there and tear it up a bit, oh, and for several years our chickens free ranged in it. Our veggie gardens are in both side yards, but the one extends almost to the street (its a weird set up...its a chunk of yard separated from the rest by the driveway and garage) and now the chickens live in the back of the veggie garden.

I LOVe all the dandelions, clover, plantain etc in my yard...good medicine...and I refuse to waste resources or use chemicals on my yard.

oh, and I do grow things in the actual front yard as well...there is a sunflower house, raspberry bushes, grapevines along the fence, a bean teepee, a section full of blueberries and cranberries...and random other hodge podge stuff

 

[Romy]

Personally I like these better than mowed grass.

But that's just personal preference. I'm not going to complain if my neighbor has a mowed lawn. Or wild tall grass with dandelions in it. Or a mud pit.

You can make some really gorgeous raised garden beds with brick or stone too. I just think the whole thing is ridiculous. If she had planted ornamentals in those raised boxes, could they have actually said anything about it? If it's just the placement of the boxes and the fact that some people think it looks ugly, then anybody with ugly landscaping is fair game.

 

[~Jessie~]

They used 2x4s and threw them in their front yard. It's not about having a garden in the front yard. They just have plain 2x4s sitting in there. That's not landscaping.

Had they worked the garden into their front yard like someone would plant flowers then no, it would not be ugly. It takes all of 5 minutes and $10 to screw together the boxes they threw onto their yard.

 

[Snark]

They used 2x4s and threw them in their front yard. It's not about having a garden in the front yard. They just have plain 2x4s sitting in there. That's not landscaping.

Had they worked the garden into their front yard like someone would plant flowers then no, it would be ugly. It takes all of 5 minutes and $10 to screw together the boxes they threw onto their yard.

Uh, no... those are at least 2 x 6s, probably 2 x 8s. They've got square corners (not that easy to do), and are lined up symmetrically with even spacing between the boxes. Those were not just thrown together... Would it have made a difference if those boxes had been filled with roses?

 

[Gypsydals]

It takes all of 5 minutes and $10 to screw together the boxes they threw onto their yard.

Considering the location, that was probably all they could afford extra. Detroit is a dieing town, most that could and wanted to leave have. Most that are left in Detroit are struggling in some way or another.
Honestly that looks alot better than other places I've seen in Detroit. The yard is mowed, there is no trash laying around, no rusty cars laying around. So what if its just wood. Not everyone has tons of money to spend on making a bed. Most use what they can.

 

[~Jessie~]

Uh, no... those are at least 2 x 6s, probably 2 x 8s. They've got square corners (not that easy to do), and are lined up symmetrically with even spacing between the boxes. Those were not just thrown together... Would it have made a difference if those boxes had been filled with roses?

Now you're just pulling hairs.

Yes, I still think those boxes would be ugly if they were filled with roses.

Again, had the garden been worked into the landscaping design (like what Romy posted) then I would not think it was ugly.

 

[LauraLeigh]

I am so glad I live on a 400 acre farm with our across the road neighbors at least 800 feet away (and good friends) and to the west our next neighbor is over a half mile away, to the East about an eighth...

I could not handle an HOA, at least not one that dictated that specifically, but that said if you buy into one, that's what you sign up for... If she is not in an HOA... Then it is really ridiculous to harass her over something so silly...