Miami Shores, Fl forces couple to get rid of 17 year old veggie garden in front yard. This is terrible. Other cities have been doing this also. Shame on all of them! I might plant it full of cactus with big spines for intruders. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/11 ... ordinance/
There are neighborhood associations that want every yard and house to look exactly alike. Our son lived in one where cars couldn't park in the street or driveway, just in the garage and you couldn't leave the garage door open. There were certain types of trees and bushes you could have in the front of the house. You could only have a garden or other plants in the backyard if you had a no see through fence around your back yard. No fences allowed in the front yard. He was in the Air Force then so they weren't there too long. He did not like being told what to do with his own property. dooley
Unbelievable! especially since they have been doing this for 17 years. I can't understand why vegetables were targeted and not fruit trees, shrubs, garden "art", how subjective that can be..."ones man trash is another mans treasure", but something that benefits a family by reducing the amount of TV being watched, reduced junk food consumption since you are most likely going to be eating better, which results in healthier people....and many other reasons for gardening in the first place, huh? makes no sense...
It makes no sense to me either. I would not live in such a dumpy city or housing development. We always called them cookie cutter houses, where every single one looks alike. And yet they could have a plastic flamingo or two in the yard ? Those make it look like what my one son calls a miniature golf course. It is hard to believe that people actually sign such contracts when they buy a home. If you want to sell the house, NO contract like that. Just look elsewhere to buy a home. The market is glutted with houses for sale, surely many of them do not require such horrible regulations.
AA, This doesn't sound like an HOA, it sounds as if there is a change in zoning and they who have gardens are the target. Such a shame that they were given no consideration in this matter or maybe there wasn't even any notification of the issue unless you regularly attended council/city/zoning meetings, so anyone effected wouldn't be able to speak against the new legislature.
I wondered about that too Waretrop. There ought to have been some provision to grandfather in existing gardens. They would have had to pay huge legal fees to fight it with $50 per day fines, which the article said was $1500 a month [sounds right]. They just did not have the means to fight it. I would have to sell my beloved home and gardens and move away. And this isnt a HOA, it is the city's new regulations. Unless one is on the city council, or the zoning council if they are different they would not know of this in time to fight it. I still would not live in a neighborhood with Home Owners Associations, it amounts to the same stupidity. Since this garden was 17 years old, I think it was likely a prize winning garden with wonderful veggies and ideas in the layout and design of it. I am sure this couple is broken-hearted over their loss. Maybe they can force the city to buy them out so they can move to a new and better place.
Feel so bad for this couple. These cities and HOA's are trying their best to make yards so cookie cutter and sterile. This lack of diversity is not good for bees and insects, not even counting us humans.
I would never sign a contract for living in a community....especially when you can't even grow any vegetables...any other worthless vegetative plant is okay, but not one that actually contributes to your well being....hmmm, makes less sense than even the other story in Fla for the HOA that said the trees the man planted in his tree lawn were too SHORT. Needed to be at least 6 ft tall. Now, ANYBODY who loves and is interested in getting healthy plants or specimens started knows the larger the plant, the harder it is on the plant to get established.... Why you would want a tree along the edge of the road is beyond me, though. Leaves in the street, (up here, salt damage, snow removal issues), they grow tall enough to interfere with the wire above the trees...more of a nuisance than anything to me. But to start micro-regulating homeowners who are growing vegetables (or ornamentals, but it seems to apply mostly to vegetables from most of what we see) for their own joy/satisfaction is getting ridiculous. I think, if I could, my house would be going on the market and I would be moving away from the city as fast as possible. I have never been fond of the city life and I know there are those who have never lived in the country and know no other way of life, so it is a different way to live, but I couldn't live with the lack of privacy or control issues at every turn.
*faints* Ok, that settles it. I'm staying right here where the neighbours may moan and whine about the height of trees and hedges, but can't get me to remove either unless I actually break the neighbour law. (Yes, we've got one, and it's very liberal too.)
