What is Digg?292 Comments
- Bukowsky, on 07/07/2009, -13/+201God.. I hate Home Owners Associations! This guy should'nt have pulled a gun, but geez, aren't there more important things than what your yard looks like?
- apzdsx, on 07/08/2009, -9/+111*checks URL for The Onion*
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...................................,<`.._|_,-&``................`\ - elshanero, on 07/07/2009, -44/+128I wonder how much it cost the taxpayers to cut that lawn? A SWAT team to enforce the mowing of a private lawn... WTF? When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.
- hawkspur, on 07/08/2009, -9/+90Another great reason to NEVER join a Homeowner's Association. People aren't happy with their lives so they use some small measure of arbitrary power to be *****.
>>
*eyes the bury buttton ironically* - AdeleMor, on 07/07/2009, -3/+71Ah Indiana. FTA:
" But police say when contractor Dominique Thompson climbed up on the riding mower, he noticed the homeowner pointing a shotgun directly at him." - Barackalypse, on 07/08/2009, -5/+72Buried as inaccurate, contractor Dominique Thompson was called in to deal with the grass, the SWAT team only became involved when a man pointed a shotgun at her.
- Krinkov, on 07/08/2009, -2/+69titles a bit misleading. The real story here is that a guy got the swat team called out for pointing a shotgun at a kid on a lawnmower. At that point the reason why it all started, however minor, is a bit moot.
Kinda like saying WW2 only started because some Austrian kid didnt get into art school. (look it up) - AbsurdParadox, on 07/08/2009, -3/+68This man was contractually bound to keep his lawn mowed. Are you suggesting that a "free country" implies the ability to back out of signed contracts at will?
(I feel I should mention that if it WEREN'T for a HOA contract, this would be straight oppression) - NakedJedi, on 07/08/2009, -6/+63Don't EVER try and take a brothers weed.
- HurricaneDC, on 07/08/2009, -11/+61HOAs do suck sometimes (e.g. forcing military veterans to take down flagpoles with the US flag), but they're well-intentioned. This guy didn't have to join the HOA (though he probably couldn't have bought the house) but chose to. The reason for these "no one foot tall lawn" rules is that when your neighbor's house looks like a ***** jungle, your home's value drops. Plus it's just messy... take an afternoon and mow the god damned lawn. Reward yourself with a beer or some lemonade.
- boecho, on 07/07/2009, -13/+58Yes, this is another extreme case of an HOA playing god. Those asshats can do whatever they please, and take every God-given right away from you. Want to paint your house light blue instead of white like the rest of the houses? Nope, you don't fit in. Want to have a 5 foot fence for more privacy because the neighbor's kids keep leering at your wife by the pool? Nope, you don't fit in. And for what? To keep your house price normalized? You give up all freedom to your own property to keep the price normalized? What about those who are not property flippers, and don't plan on selling? You're correct, they don't deserve rights because they're not American enough to make a profit off the sale of their home. HOAs should be illegal. They are anti-competitive and provide a monopoly on property in a given location.
- c010rb1indusa, on 07/07/2009, -24/+68Free country my ass, you realize in America we can say anything we want but we can't do anything we want. Rhymes shouldn't of pulled the shotgun but the man was having his lawn forcibly mowed because "he doesn't want to fit in with the rest of the neighborhood". What an awful excuse, the property belongs to him and he should be allowed to keep his lawn any way he pleases regardless of what others think.
- notzak, on 07/08/2009, -4/+41Not if he signed a home-owner's agreement. That's like saying "Hey, I know I'm expected to pee in the urinal, but I want to be different from other people, so this wall looks good too."
- inactive, on 07/08/2009, -3/+39Who the ***** points a gun at someone for cutting their grass for them? I pay for things like that.
- isunktheship, on 07/08/2009, -0/+35or Malt Liquor, we don't judge!
- JFitzpatrick, on 07/08/2009, -6/+33There is currently +31 next to your comment... which means that in addition to your dumb ass, 31 other dumb asses didn't read the damn article.
- Klinky, on 07/08/2009, -1/+27I would know, once a Chupacabra setup residence in my yard. I could not leave the house for weeks. Luckily a sheep herder moved in through town and I never saw the Chupa again. I kind of miss him.
SWAT would not do anything for me, they just told me to mow my damn lawn. They have no understanding of the Chupacabra. - Schwa142, on 07/08/2009, -5/+31well, if he didn't pull a shotgun, everything would have been fine.
- Namco, on 07/08/2009, -3/+29LOL, The Onion has done it again! ... wait, what?
- Jhiaxuz, on 07/08/2009, -1/+25Get off my lawn you *****' kids or I'll sho......
....oh hai! - Vizin, on 07/08/2009, -0/+24What a misleading article. It's not until halfway down that they mention the swat team was called in because he pointed a gun at a city worker. At first they make it sound like the team went in because his grass was too long.
- marx2k, on 07/08/2009, -2/+26That's fine, except when it's forced on you.
- Lunarparcel, on 07/08/2009, -1/+24Chalk it up to miscommunication:
Operator: "911. What's your emergency?"
Caller: "This fool is holed up in his house, and he's CRAZY! He's got blades everywhere!"
Op: "Blades, Ma'am?"
Caller: "Hell yeah!, I'm talkin' 18 inches long! This fool is surrounded by 'em."
Op: "Ma'am, have you been attacked, cut or stabbed?"
Caller: "Bitch, I'm talkin' this guy is NUTS! He is REALLY into his grass."
Op: "Ma'am we notifying a narcotics unit. Someone will be there shortly."
Caller: "I need you to send someone out NOW! They need to mow 'em down!"
Op: "Ma'am, SWAT is on their way." - dawgma, on 07/08/2009, -7/+28Read the ***** article before you talk.
- Barackalypse, on 07/08/2009, -2/+23While I hate the petty little tyrants of the home owners associations, this isn't an issue unique to them, lots of cities have these ordinances as well:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-tall- ... - Demigawd, on 07/08/2009, -0/+21Its one thing to pay someone to cut your grass, we have a kid that does ours for $25, but when the city sends some one to do it the bill can easily run you a couple hundred dollars.
- Eisen4, on 07/08/2009, -0/+18I live in Indiana. Thanks for making us look like idiots again guys.
- isunktheship, on 07/08/2009, -0/+18change "I know I'm expected" to "I know I agreed/promised/contractually signed/etc"
- SirTwitchALot, on 07/08/2009, -2/+19Cities don't want to be in the business of mowing lawns. They give you plenty of notice, and then they charge you a special assessment for the service. He'll probably pay $200-$500 additional on his next property tax bill.
- diggduggjoe, on 07/08/2009, -1/+17The rub is they demand you have a lawn in the first place. Most HOAs and municipalities insist you have a lawn. Put in concrete or some other type of ground cover and they will jump all over you.
Lawns are totally not "green". You waste water. You need to use pesticides and fertilizers which run off and into area rivers and streams, or must be expensively processed by the local water departments. - ZeroCubed, on 07/08/2009, -0/+16But it DID start because some Austrian kid didn't get into art school!!!
- bthree78, on 07/08/2009, -1/+15HOA is why my Dad in Indiana isn't able to get cable TV in his area. Also only dial up internet on old phone lines. He got sick of it and paid extra for satellite and wireless internet.
- IpecacNeat, on 07/08/2009, -1/+14Yeah. That contract is only there to protect property values. I know if I were trying to sell my home in this economy and the price of my home was being driven even lower by some guy who is breaking his HOA contract, I would be pretty upset.
- Cuongfu, on 07/08/2009, -1/+14Onion ?
- hawkspur, on 07/08/2009, -0/+13*slaps*
- BossKey, on 07/08/2009, -0/+13I Fought the Lawn
- gdo01, on 07/08/2009, -3/+15Defending grass mowers that were legally alowed to be on the man's property from a man wielding a shotgun. Blame the regulation makers all you want but the SWAT team did nothing unnecessary, illegal or uncalled for in facing a man with a shotgun.
- Vizin, on 07/08/2009, -0/+12Actually, most municipal governments have codes about grass length. It doesn't matter if you live in a gated community/homeowners' association/etc. They just have much stricter codes,
- Ajajadude, on 07/08/2009, -0/+12Then sell the house and move to a neighborhood with no HOA or move into a condo/apartment where you're not expected to mow the lawn.
- Dysnomia, on 07/08/2009, -4/+16Explain that HOA thing to this crazy European, I mean, over here the closest thing I've seen to someone dictating how your house must look is when you buy houses in a totally private property, as in, everything's walled off, you need a security pass to go in, guards patrol the perimeter at night, etc.
Outside of those things, everyone can make their house look however they want, and sure, you may piss off neighbors, but it's not a common thing, unless it's something really ***** up, like in a neighborhood of white houses, your house is brownish and has a different design, of course you'll get the passive-aggressive treatment, but nothing special.
So, sorry about the rant, but I don't get what's up with those things, or if they exist anywhere outside the US, I mean, wtf. - beabis, on 07/08/2009, -1/+12In the US the corrupt politicians and their elite upper class friends grew tired of the masses always examining and questioning their nefarious activities. They got together and decided that the masses didn't have enough to keep them busy. The solution these evildoers came up with was grass. They convinced the poorly educated victims of union infested public education to surround their houses with fast growing grass that would require constant attention. They have even duped the dumbest of the dumb into fertilizing and watering the grass so they have to mow it even more often. Now the moronic masses are out there every week mowing, watering, and fertilizing while their country is slowly dismantled by a bunch of sleazy politicians and their friends.
I don't know what the hell is wrong with Americans. No one would tolerate having to repaint their house every week but they are perfectly happy to put up with endless, hopeless lawn care. - marx2k, on 07/08/2009, -0/+11wild animals and insects? outdoors? What the hell are they thinking??????
- Ajajadude, on 07/08/2009, -2/+13He signed the contract. Nobody is pointing a shotgun at him and forcing him to live there. He's had his day in court and lost, several times from the sound of it. It's not like this situation came out of the blue.
- AbsurdParadox, on 07/08/2009, -8/+19Maybe you shouldn't agree to their terms, when purchasing a house... HOA are voluntary associations.
- Paranor01, on 07/08/2009, -1/+11or after a hard day of cutting weeds... smoke some weed! Relax...
- Schwa142, on 07/08/2009, -5/+15the lawn was over a foot high... I wouldn't like it if my neighbor lowered the price of my home by several thousand, or made it much more difficult to sell. The guy was just being an ass to be an ass.
- 2of8, on 07/08/2009, -1/+11Contracts, yes; but a health risk, from tall grass? Seriously?
- inigomntoya, on 07/08/2009, -4/+14This guy sounds REALLY nuts.
From the comments - As a member of this neighborhood for the last 9 years, I can tell you this man needs serious help. He was notified by the city last week he had 7 days to cut his grass. He didn't do it. Chris knew exactly who they were and why they were there when the lawn mowers showed up. He pointed a gun on the poor kid who was there to do the job. This is not the first time we have had problems. It is more like the 20th. It is just the first time it has been escalated to this extent. If the neighborhood is LUCKY he cuts his grass 3 times a summer. He has plowed over 3 mailboxes at 3 different times just trying to leave the subdivision. He has walked around taking pictures of the neighbors kids while they were out playing. He has chased neighbors off the sidewalk in front of his house that were out walking. He has cut down neighbors shrubs because they infringe on his property line. Should I go on??? He needs help and like the message from KY say his family will act like nothing happened and we will go on living with this man next door to us. How do you think we feel not knowing what he is going to dol next. Maybe the other 50 homeowners including myself should move so he can remain in his own little world. - faskippy, on 07/08/2009, -0/+10Ha! Now that was just funny!
- marx2k, on 07/08/2009, -0/+10I'm not in a HOA. The city still forces me to cut my lawn. \o/
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