I live in florida and i run my sprinklers MAYBE 10 times a year. It's just CRAP to make excuses for this guy. It rains ALL THE FREAKING TIME here.
It is a simple case of lack of foresight/responsibility at best.
At worst and, more realistically, he was plain lazy and defiant.
It didn't rain enough to keep the lawn green apparently. The guy simply doesn't have the funds to keep up with that situation anymore (but he did at one point), and he knew what the courts were going to tell him: sod the lawn and keep it watered, or fix the irrigation system anyways and seed it. No cashola. He knew what he had to do, but had to choose to keep his mortgage payments going over his other problems. He was going to lose the house over it. Either way he just couldn't afford his current situation, and hoped it would just go away. It didn't go away, so ultimately he went away. A simple case of putting belongings, and objects, over people.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
It didn't rain enough to keep the lawn green apparently. The guy simply doesn't have the funds to keep up with that situation anymore (but he did at one point), and he knew what the courts were going to tell him anyway: sod the lawn and keep it watered, or fix the irrigation system and seed it. He knew what he had to do, but had to choose to keep his mortgage payments going over his other problems. He was going to lose the house over it. Either way he just couldn't afford his current situation, and hoped it would just go away. It didn't go away, so ultimately he went away. A simple case of putting belongings, and objects, over people.
Please
Guys like dunkman, kann, yield, roland are like those parents in Southpark, you know, that episode where they move to San Francisco and inhale their own farts so as to not pollute the environment?
get real.
The guy put HIMSELF before his community and the law. And he got exactly what he deserved.
We are supposed to enact laws that provide opportunity for ALL, not excuses for SOME.
0
unsung
I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
Fuck Home Owner's Associations. I hate them so goddamn much. They are like the gestapo in my neighborhood. It's unamerican. We're supposed to be able to live however the hell we want.
HOA's should be made illegal. And if I ever have the time to fight a good battle, it will be against the existence of HOA's.
People should not be buying homes as a portfolio enhancement. If a crappy house in your neighborhood is bringing values down, then so what...deal with it.
So because some ass doesn't want to maintain his house the rest should suffer? Brilliant.
Because he is going to jail over his lawn. What's wrong with fining him? All jail did was produce the opposite result of what some are claiming should have taken place in the first place.
The guy had 5 acres which is a lot of grass to take care of. He could afford to handle the situation originally when he moved in but fell on hard times as indicated.
In any event...5 acres of grass is hardly casual, it's almost like farming.
No he is not going to jail over his lawn, he is going to jail over violation of a court order. You think if he had answered the court they would have found him in contempt and put him in jail? Doubtful.
Fining him? didnt they try that and it didnt work anyways?
If he cant handle the 5 acres, he should sell the property, or file bankruptcy and let the property go. He signed an agreement to do a certain thing, when he was no longer able to live up to that responsibility, its on him, and him alone to do something to resolve things.
and i dont feel bad about his ARM adjusting. He agreed to it. Its what ADJUSTABLE rate mortgages do. They adjust.
No he is not going to jail over his lawn, he is going to jail over violation of a court order. You think if he had answered the court they would have found him in contempt and put him in jail? Doubtful.
Fining him? didnt they try that and it didnt work anyways?
If he cant handle the 5 acres, he should sell the property, or file bankruptcy and let the property go. He signed an agreement to do a certain thing, when he was no longer able to live up to that responsibility, its on him, and him alone to do something to resolve things.
and i dont feel bad about his ARM adjusting. He agreed to it. Its what ADJUSTABLE rate mortgages do. They adjust.
So he goes to court, and they tell him to do something he is unable to do anyways, so he winds up back in court delaying the inevitable. Basically he went to jail for not downsizing and living within his means. I suppose that is a crime in itself these days, it seems that is what it's coming to.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
the guy owns 5 acres of Tampa real estate and you're bemoaning HIS hardship?
rediculous.
I'm not bemoaning his hardship, just pointing out that it's not a simple case of he's lazy, and has no concept of responsibility. He was faced with a seemingly trivial problem, and had his hand forced to the point that he was put behind bars over it despite making his case to the HOA. I guess they decided to fast track this guy regardless. With the largest prison population in the world, if jail is going to be the solution to every problem in the future, then I suppose it's not exactly working out so well.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
So he goes to court, and they tell him to do something he is unable to do anyways, so he winds up back in court delaying the inevitable. Basically he went to jail for not downsizing and living within his means. I suppose that is a crime in itself these days, it seems that is what it's coming to.
I bet if he had responded to any of the court requests he would not be put in jail.
but this is just another case of Roland creating a spectacular thread title that does not tell the whole story, just to sensationalize the story.
I dont blame the man for being too broke to fix his yard.
I do blame him for being a coward and not getting in touch with the court.
I bet if he had responded to any of the court requests he would not be put in jail.
but this is just another case of Roland creating a spectacular thread title that does not tell the whole story, just to sensationalize the story.
I dont blame the man for being too broke to fix his yard.
I do blame him for being a coward and not getting in touch with the court.
So he goes to court. They tell him to fix his irrigation system and repair his lawn. He can't. They heap a bunch of fines which he also can't pay, so eventually he winds up in jail anyways, or perhaps they just financially ruin the guy with additional fines and interest, and ongoing court fees etc.., for living outside of his means. Hard times call for hard measures eh? You bet.
Does anyone think they will ever go to jail over a lawn? Apparently some demand it. It is just a lawn in the end isn't it....well yes it is....just a lawn.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
I'm not bemoaning his hardship, just pointing out that it's not a simple case of he's lazy, and has no concept of responsibility. He was faced with a seemingly trivial problem, and had his hand forced to the point that he was put behind bars over it despite making his case to the HOA. I guess they decided to fast track this guy regardless. With the largest prison population in the world, if jail is going to be the solution to every problem in the future, then I suppose it's not exactly working out so well.
Had his hand forced?
Dude, you have absolutely no knowledge of how the system works. Do you just like to be angry at stuff?
It took MONTHS for this problem to get to this point.
An HOA order,
An order from the city,
A referral to the court,
no less than TWO court motions to get this guy to even answer the charge!
It takes time to get to this point and he ignored everyone at every turn. He shit on his neighbors, gave THEM the bird.
It is a simple case of Lazy Ignorant Defiance, got what he deserved.
If you owned property you'd know better than to run it like this.
Dude, you have absolutely no knowledge of how the system works. Do you just like to be angry at stuff?
It took MONTHS for this problem to get to this point.
An HOA order,
An order from the city,
A referral to the court,
no less than TWO court motions to get this guy to even answer the charge!
It takes time to get to this point and he ignored everyone at every turn. He shit on his neighbors, gave THEM the bird.
It is a simple case of Lazy Ignorant Defiance, got what he deserved.
If you owned property you'd know better than to run it like this.
Okay, next subject, its old now.
He was taken to task over his lawn.....something trivial to most. Maybe you missed that part? Maybe you also missed that he did make an appeal in person to the HOA as well? And where's he getting the money from to do anything tangible anyways? From refinancing or selling his house. Something he tried to avoid by neglecting his lawn and ironically he succeeded by doing so. Foreclosure or a bigger financial mess, with a green lawn, might have been a better option for some people I suppose, something he was trying to avoid, but in this case was unavoidable. What do people thing the courts are going to say...Oh... ok...we just wanted to talk to you, and see your shining face...now you can go and do whatever...enjoy?
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
So he goes to court. They tell him to fix his irrigation system and repair his lawn. He can't. They heap a bunch of fines which he also can't pay, so eventually he winds up in jail anyways, or perhaps they just financially ruin the guy with additional fines and interest, and ongoing court fees etc.., for living outside of his means. Hard times call for hard measures eh? You bet.
Does anyone think they will ever go to jail over a lawn? Apparently some demand it. It is just a lawn in the end isn't it....well yes it is....just a lawn.
No, if he goes to court those fines rack up. He loses the house he probably cant afford to begin with.
I dont think there is such a thing as debtors prison anymore, but i could be wrong.
And HE DID NOT GO TO JAIL OVER HIS LAWN. he went to jail for IGNORING REPEATED COURT ORDERS.
No, if he goes to court those fines rack up. He loses the house he probably cant afford to begin with.
I dont think there is such a thing as debtors prison anymore, but i could be wrong.
And HE DID NOT GO TO JAIL OVER HIS LAWN. he went to jail for IGNORING REPEATED COURT ORDERS.
So he goes to court. They tell him tough luck. He can't fix the problem, so not only is he forced to refinance his house, he will probably end up losing it as well. There is no shiny side to this story with the court system. And around goes the spinning wheel again. Fix the lawn... I can't. Ok, another court order.... show up in court... pay more fines...more court fees.
sink sink sink...sell.
He was trying to save the house, something he will not be able to do because his lawn is brown.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
If you'd like to not end up like this lazy arse, I'll repost from earlier so all can be helped.
I'm trying to help the future homowners of America here, not the guy who refused to perform his due diligence:
1. When you buy low and prices go through the roof, don't act like you hit the lottery. You did not make a jump in class. Improve your home, renegotiate your mortgage into a better position.
2. DO NOT refi to cash out, then buy a bunch of crap on credit. Pay cash for your crap and live within your monthly income. Because ups come down, your a poor student of history if you don't know that.
3. Expect repairs that will cost you THOUSANDS....air conditioners break, roofs leak, water pipes burst, and yes, grass dies.
4. Know your local CITY CODE ORDINANCES, not the building codes. Also know your deed restrictions. If you don't like the rules, don't buy.
5. And lastly, most courts think you don't respect them when you don't show, so it's probably a good idea to do so. If you are seen to be making an effort, you will be met more than halfway.
Blame everybody else all you want, the guy would not have spent one day in jail had he followed these easy steps. and that's his fault.
So he goes to court. They tell him tough luck. He can't fix the problem, so not only is he forced to refinance his house, he will probably end up losing it as well. There is no shiny side to this story with the court system. And around goes the spinning wheel again. Fix the lawn... I can't. Ok, another court order.... show up in court... pay more fines...more court fees.
sink sink sink...sell.
I doubt he can refinance his house, given the circumstances. I imagine with a recent auto repo on his credit, its not going to be possible in this market. However, there are millions of people in this country that cant afford 5 acres in tampa... why should this guy get that property if he cant afford it, and to live up to the contract he agreed to.
No there isnt a shiny side, but your bullshit over the top thread title (shared by cnn) is entirely misleading and is not the case at all.
I doubt he can refinance his house, given the circumstances. I imagine with a recent auto repo on his credit, its not going to be possible in this market. However, there are millions of people in this country that cant afford 5 acres in tampa... why should this guy get that property if he cant afford it, and to live up to the contract he agreed to.
No there isnt a shiny side, but your bullshit over the top thread title (shared by cnn) is entirely misleading and is not the case at all.
He could originally handle this situation, and financially found himself in a position where he could not. His problem in this case is a court order to fix his lawn. His inability to maintain his lawn landed him in jail. Call it denial of court orders, but if the goal is to have enough money to make mortgage payments to keep the house, the legal fees are not exactly something you;re going to look forward to. So yes in effect, this guy had his hand forced to either fix his lawn or lose the house. Cause...effect. Sure it would be great if the guy won the lottery, or found a nice bag of cash, or started working more hours to put food on the table. But cut and dry this guys lawn sunk him to the point he was forced to take the jail time. Hence going to jail over a lawn.
Lawn.....no money....Jail
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
He could originally handle this situation, and financially found himself in a position where he could not. His problem in this case is a court order to fix his lawn. His inability to maintain his lawn landed him in jail. Call it denial of court orders, but if the goal is to have enough money to make mortgage payments to keep the house, the legal fees are not exactly something you;re going to look forward to. So yes in effect, this guy had his hand forced to either fix his lawn or lose the house. Cause...effect. Sure it would be great if the guy won the lottery, or found a nice bag of cash, or started working more hours to put food on the table. But cut and dry this guys lawn sunk him to the point he wsa forced to take the jail time. Hence going to jail over a lawn.
Lawn.....no money....Jail
He has no business keeping the house, because just like making a Mortgage Payment is part of keeping his home contractually, Keeping the Lawn in a Certain condition is also a contractual obligation. If his financial situation prevents him from maintaining ALL of his obligation, then he simply could have sold the house (depending on the market), Let it go into forclosure, or filed bankruptcy. He did not. He chose to do... Absolutely nothing. Not go out there with a hose to try and bring it back. Not to go buy 4 bags of grass seed and go at least show an effort to live up to his obligations.
no money..... no sense of responsibility.... ignoring court orders... Jail..
Sensational story.... Ignoring Vital Facts to show how evil "the man" is..... Roland.
He has no business keeping the house, because just like making a Mortgage Payment is part of keeping his home contractually, Keeping the Lawn in a Certain condition is also a contractual obligation. If his financial situation prevents him from maintaining ALL of his obligation, then he simply could have sold the house (depending on the market), Let it go into forclosure, or filed bankruptcy. He did not. He chose to do... Absolutely nothing. Not go out there with a hose to try and bring it back. Not to go buy 4 bags of grass seed and go at least show an effort to live up to his obligations.
no money..... no sense of responsibility.... ignoring court orders... Jail..
Sensational story.... Ignoring Vital Facts to show how evil "the man" is..... Roland.
Have you ever seeded grass before? It needs to be watered daily, and have a fair deal of fresh topsoil trucked in and spread around. I'm not sure if you've ever tried seeding and hand watering on top of 5 acres dead lawn before, but I'm guessing you haven't.
A simple case of not having the funds and being forced out of your house due to a brown lawn....You can call it contract this and contract that, but in the end it's just brown grass.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
Have you ever seeded grass before? It needs to be watered daily, and have a fair deal of fresh topsoil trucked in and spread around. I'm not sure if you've ever tried seeding and hand watering on top of 5 acres dead lawn before, but I'm guessing you haven't.
A simple case of not having the funds and being forced out of your house due to a brown lawn....You can call it contract this and contract that, but in the end it's just brown grass.
I have seeded grass before. I did okay at it. If it was something that could cause me to go to jail, or lose my home i would get better in a hurry. Or at the very least, i would have, you know.. ATTEMPTED to do something after the court ordered it.
If he could not handle the contractual obligations required to keep that home, why should he still have a right to that home?
A simple case of not having the funds and being forced out of your house due to a brown lawn....You can call it contract this and contract that, but in the end it's just brown grass.
and money is just paper and ink.
and music is just tones and waves.
and water is just hydrogen and oxygen.
and responsibility is just for those that feel like dealing with it.
and honestly portraying a situation is not for Roland.
Have you ever seeded grass before? It needs to be watered daily, and have a fair deal of fresh topsoil trucked in and spread around. I'm not sure if you've ever tried seeding and hand watering on top of 5 acres dead lawn before, but I'm guessing you haven't.
A simple case of not having the funds and being forced out of your house due to a brown lawn....You can call it contract this and contract that, but in the end it's just brown grass.
again you're wrong:
you can lay bermuda (which is what most florida grass is) on concrete and it will grow with water. no shit.
It rains a lot here, as I explained before, so maybe 10 extra bucks a month for water is no game-breaker. one of those cheap spreaders is like 20 bucks. and 4 bags of seed. 100 bucks?, 200?
What about one area of the yard at a time? break up the expense "hey, i'm really trying hard here"
The guy had options. In the end, he took a poopee on his neighbors.
But I think roland has grown here: he understands that he is in no way capable of maintaining a household. good for him and good for us.
But I think roland has grown here: he understands that he is in no way capable of maintaining a household. good for him and good for us.
I wasnt going to take it there. Roland may be a perfectly capable and sensible person in real life.
And ultimately, i would not have put this guy in jail... But i dont see a problem with the fact he was. I dont see this as some egregious miscarriage of justice. Im not outraged either way.
What outrages me is how people on this board, and others, continue to defend the people that arent even trying. This guy could have tried to fix his lawn. He could have shown in court. He could have done any million things, but couldnt put forth the effort to even give it a shot.... and people are defending him?
I have seeded grass before. I did okay at it. If it was something that could cause me to go to jail, or lose my home i would get better in a hurry. Or at the very least, i would have, you know.. ATTEMPTED to do something after the court ordered it.
If he could not handle the contractual obligations required to keep that home, why should he still have a right to that home?
Hand tending 5 acres of grass from seed is a monumental undertaking, so he's kind of screwed in that regard without a viable irrigation system, and fresh sod. His family could have pulled out shovels and hoe's and helped pay for the probably I'm guessing 60 - 80+ yards of topsoil he would need for seeding over sod, but that's gotta be upwards of $3000 just for the earth. If anything his family living with him is lazy... not him. A 66 year old guy hand turning and tending to 5 acres of land, if it's even possible without wrecking the existing irrigation tubing and sprinkler heads, would probably land him in the hospital with a thrown back. His options are $3000 plus of topsoil and seeding, or mechanically having landscaping services shave the entire property at the root level and then resod. The cheapest is just tilling over, and re compacting the soil, but that would probably demolish his irrigation system, which would cost him even more money in the end.
He found himself unable to make ends meet, and was forced to spend time in jail in order to keep his head above water financially, or some could say hey. just make more money, and work more hours (easier said than done perhaps), but to say he's lazy for not being able to spread a little seed around, and sprinkle some water is just naive.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
again, the shit will grow anywhere, you don't need topsoil,
just seed and put a sprinkler out there. Dude was retired, he had the time to move the little sprinkler head around.
you can lay bermuda (which is what most florida grass is) on concrete and it will grow with water. no shit.
It rains a lot here, as I explained before, so maybe 10 extra bucks a month for water is no game-breaker. one of those cheap spreaders is like 20 bucks. and 4 bags of seed. 100 bucks?, 200?
What about one area of the yard at a time? break up the expense "hey, i'm really trying hard here"
The guy had options. In the end, he took a poopee on his neighbors.
But I think roland has grown here: he understands that he is in no way capable of maintaining a household. good for him and good for us.
Show me grass that can grow on concrete without soil and nutrients to form a root system, and I'll give you a noble prize....maybe two...and some patents.
Believe me I know how to grow grass in various climates and you can't just toss seed down and have it grow. You need soil, and contact with the soil, and a steady supply of water to get anywhere near a successful germination ratio. Otherwise you're just tossing money in the garbage.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
He found himself unable to make ends meet, and was forced to spend time in jail in order to keep his head above water financially, or some could say hey. just make more money, and work more hours (easier said than done perhaps), but to say he's lazy for not being able to spread a little seed around, and sprinkle some water is just naive.
Dude, he didnt even TRY. not a patch. Not time with a hose to make it look like he even cared.
Would he have been able to do it? Who knows (ive grown grass, and its not hard to get the grass down, and then its just water- but we arent going to agree on it). But i think the HOA, and the Court would have been a lot more forgiving if the guy just didnt ignore the problem altogether.
Show me grass that can grow on concrete without soil and nutrients to form a root system, and I'll give you a noble prize....maybe two...and some patents.
Believe me I know how to grow grass in various climates and you can't just toss seed down and have it grow. You need soil, and contact with the soil, and a steady supply of water to get anywhere near a successful germination ratio. Otherwise you're just tossing money in the garbage.
I was referring to sod, and it DOES grow on concrete. But Bermuda seed will grow in florida dirt just fine without preperation. all this "backfill" and "hydration" and "fertilization". Dude, seed, water, and dirt. thats it.
Dude, he didnt even TRY. not a patch. Not time with a hose to make it look like he even cared.
Would he have been able to do it? Who knows (ive grown grass, and its not hard to get the grass down, and then its just water- but we arent going to agree on it). But i think the HOA, and the Court would have been a lot more forgiving if the guy just didnt ignore the problem altogether.
I'm assuming he was already in way over his head when his mortgage shot up $600, so every dollar spent was one less against the house or food to feed his family. That's a lot of land to have as manicured lawn....a ridiculous amount actually. I'm guessing this guy got caught between a rock and a hard place, and is going to wind up selling his house very soon. If this is not the case, then he should at least topped up the area's closest to the sidewalk, for a couple hundred, a bit of sweat, and some spare time. It's a bit of both, but they wanted his back yard redone as well. I imagine he got as pissed off as the neighbors did eventually, and felt like the situation aka his life and circumstances was just not getting a fair shake.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
I'm assuming he was already in way over his head when his mortgage shot up $600, so every dollar spent was one less against the house or food to feed his family. That's a lot of land to have as manicured lawn....a ridiculous amount actually. I'm guessing this guy got caught between a rock and a hard place, and is going to wind up selling his house very soon. If this is not the case, then he should at least topped up the area's closest to the sidewalk, for a couple hundred, a bit of sweat, and some spare time. It's a bit of both, but they wanted his back yard redone as well. I imagine he got as pissed off as the neighbors did eventually, and felt like the situation aka his life and circumstances was just not getting a fair shake.
"life circumstances" "fair shake" "rock and a hard place" "way over his head"
Boy, i'd sure like to have you on my team the next time I fuck up and want to avoid it.
I was referring to sod, and it DOES grow on concrete. But Bermuda seed will grow in florida dirt just fine without preperation. all this "backfill" and "hydration" and "fertilization". Dude, seed, water, and dirt. thats it.
He could probably carefully dethatch the heck out of his property with a machine, spread and rake in some seed, and roll it over. That would probably be the cheapest, and then buy a bunch of hoses, and essentially build a manual mock irrigation system on top of his existing one with a couple dozen sprinklers...or just keep moving one around for a couple weeks until the seed takes hold. If the seed dries out at any point...no dice. But then again if he can't even afford a pot to piss in in the first place, it's kinda all moot, as it the XYZ brand sod route.
He should sell if he can right now hopefully without losing a bunch of cash on his investment, and downsize. Looks like he got burnt.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
Comments
It didn't rain enough to keep the lawn green apparently. The guy simply doesn't have the funds to keep up with that situation anymore (but he did at one point), and he knew what the courts were going to tell him: sod the lawn and keep it watered, or fix the irrigation system anyways and seed it. No cashola. He knew what he had to do, but had to choose to keep his mortgage payments going over his other problems. He was going to lose the house over it. Either way he just couldn't afford his current situation, and hoped it would just go away. It didn't go away, so ultimately he went away. A simple case of putting belongings, and objects, over people.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Please
Guys like dunkman, kann, yield, roland are like those parents in Southpark, you know, that episode where they move to San Francisco and inhale their own farts so as to not pollute the environment?
get real.
The guy put HIMSELF before his community and the law. And he got exactly what he deserved.
We are supposed to enact laws that provide opportunity for ALL, not excuses for SOME.
So because some ass doesn't want to maintain his house the rest should suffer? Brilliant.
No he is not going to jail over his lawn, he is going to jail over violation of a court order. You think if he had answered the court they would have found him in contempt and put him in jail? Doubtful.
Fining him? didnt they try that and it didnt work anyways?
If he cant handle the 5 acres, he should sell the property, or file bankruptcy and let the property go. He signed an agreement to do a certain thing, when he was no longer able to live up to that responsibility, its on him, and him alone to do something to resolve things.
and i dont feel bad about his ARM adjusting. He agreed to it. Its what ADJUSTABLE rate mortgages do. They adjust.
rediculous.
So he goes to court, and they tell him to do something he is unable to do anyways, so he winds up back in court delaying the inevitable. Basically he went to jail for not downsizing and living within his means. I suppose that is a crime in itself these days, it seems that is what it's coming to.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
I'm not bemoaning his hardship, just pointing out that it's not a simple case of he's lazy, and has no concept of responsibility. He was faced with a seemingly trivial problem, and had his hand forced to the point that he was put behind bars over it despite making his case to the HOA. I guess they decided to fast track this guy regardless. With the largest prison population in the world, if jail is going to be the solution to every problem in the future, then I suppose it's not exactly working out so well.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
I bet if he had responded to any of the court requests he would not be put in jail.
but this is just another case of Roland creating a spectacular thread title that does not tell the whole story, just to sensationalize the story.
I dont blame the man for being too broke to fix his yard.
I do blame him for being a coward and not getting in touch with the court.
So he goes to court. They tell him to fix his irrigation system and repair his lawn. He can't. They heap a bunch of fines which he also can't pay, so eventually he winds up in jail anyways, or perhaps they just financially ruin the guy with additional fines and interest, and ongoing court fees etc.., for living outside of his means. Hard times call for hard measures eh? You bet.
Does anyone think they will ever go to jail over a lawn? Apparently some demand it. It is just a lawn in the end isn't it....well yes it is....just a lawn.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
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Had his hand forced?
Dude, you have absolutely no knowledge of how the system works. Do you just like to be angry at stuff?
It took MONTHS for this problem to get to this point.
An HOA order,
An order from the city,
A referral to the court,
no less than TWO court motions to get this guy to even answer the charge!
It takes time to get to this point and he ignored everyone at every turn. He shit on his neighbors, gave THEM the bird.
It is a simple case of Lazy Ignorant Defiance, got what he deserved.
If you owned property you'd know better than to run it like this.
Okay, next subject, its old now.
He was taken to task over his lawn.....something trivial to most. Maybe you missed that part? Maybe you also missed that he did make an appeal in person to the HOA as well? And where's he getting the money from to do anything tangible anyways? From refinancing or selling his house. Something he tried to avoid by neglecting his lawn and ironically he succeeded by doing so. Foreclosure or a bigger financial mess, with a green lawn, might have been a better option for some people I suppose, something he was trying to avoid, but in this case was unavoidable. What do people thing the courts are going to say...Oh... ok...we just wanted to talk to you, and see your shining face...now you can go and do whatever...enjoy?
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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No, if he goes to court those fines rack up. He loses the house he probably cant afford to begin with.
I dont think there is such a thing as debtors prison anymore, but i could be wrong.
And HE DID NOT GO TO JAIL OVER HIS LAWN. he went to jail for IGNORING REPEATED COURT ORDERS.
So he goes to court. They tell him tough luck. He can't fix the problem, so not only is he forced to refinance his house, he will probably end up losing it as well. There is no shiny side to this story with the court system. And around goes the spinning wheel again. Fix the lawn... I can't. Ok, another court order.... show up in court... pay more fines...more court fees.
sink sink sink...sell.
He was trying to save the house, something he will not be able to do because his lawn is brown.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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I'm trying to help the future homowners of America here, not the guy who refused to perform his due diligence:
1. When you buy low and prices go through the roof, don't act like you hit the lottery. You did not make a jump in class. Improve your home, renegotiate your mortgage into a better position.
2. DO NOT refi to cash out, then buy a bunch of crap on credit. Pay cash for your crap and live within your monthly income. Because ups come down, your a poor student of history if you don't know that.
3. Expect repairs that will cost you THOUSANDS....air conditioners break, roofs leak, water pipes burst, and yes, grass dies.
4. Know your local CITY CODE ORDINANCES, not the building codes. Also know your deed restrictions. If you don't like the rules, don't buy.
5. And lastly, most courts think you don't respect them when you don't show, so it's probably a good idea to do so. If you are seen to be making an effort, you will be met more than halfway.
Blame everybody else all you want, the guy would not have spent one day in jail had he followed these easy steps. and that's his fault.
Okay, that really WAS my last word on this.
I doubt he can refinance his house, given the circumstances. I imagine with a recent auto repo on his credit, its not going to be possible in this market. However, there are millions of people in this country that cant afford 5 acres in tampa... why should this guy get that property if he cant afford it, and to live up to the contract he agreed to.
No there isnt a shiny side, but your bullshit over the top thread title (shared by cnn) is entirely misleading and is not the case at all.
He could originally handle this situation, and financially found himself in a position where he could not. His problem in this case is a court order to fix his lawn. His inability to maintain his lawn landed him in jail. Call it denial of court orders, but if the goal is to have enough money to make mortgage payments to keep the house, the legal fees are not exactly something you;re going to look forward to. So yes in effect, this guy had his hand forced to either fix his lawn or lose the house. Cause...effect. Sure it would be great if the guy won the lottery, or found a nice bag of cash, or started working more hours to put food on the table. But cut and dry this guys lawn sunk him to the point he was forced to take the jail time. Hence going to jail over a lawn.
Lawn.....no money....Jail
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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He has no business keeping the house, because just like making a Mortgage Payment is part of keeping his home contractually, Keeping the Lawn in a Certain condition is also a contractual obligation. If his financial situation prevents him from maintaining ALL of his obligation, then he simply could have sold the house (depending on the market), Let it go into forclosure, or filed bankruptcy. He did not. He chose to do... Absolutely nothing. Not go out there with a hose to try and bring it back. Not to go buy 4 bags of grass seed and go at least show an effort to live up to his obligations.
no money..... no sense of responsibility.... ignoring court orders... Jail..
Sensational story.... Ignoring Vital Facts to show how evil "the man" is..... Roland.
Have you ever seeded grass before? It needs to be watered daily, and have a fair deal of fresh topsoil trucked in and spread around. I'm not sure if you've ever tried seeding and hand watering on top of 5 acres dead lawn before, but I'm guessing you haven't.
A simple case of not having the funds and being forced out of your house due to a brown lawn....You can call it contract this and contract that, but in the end it's just brown grass.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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I have seeded grass before. I did okay at it. If it was something that could cause me to go to jail, or lose my home i would get better in a hurry. Or at the very least, i would have, you know.. ATTEMPTED to do something after the court ordered it.
If he could not handle the contractual obligations required to keep that home, why should he still have a right to that home?
and money is just paper and ink.
and music is just tones and waves.
and water is just hydrogen and oxygen.
and responsibility is just for those that feel like dealing with it.
and honestly portraying a situation is not for Roland.
again you're wrong:
you can lay bermuda (which is what most florida grass is) on concrete and it will grow with water. no shit.
It rains a lot here, as I explained before, so maybe 10 extra bucks a month for water is no game-breaker. one of those cheap spreaders is like 20 bucks. and 4 bags of seed. 100 bucks?, 200?
What about one area of the yard at a time? break up the expense "hey, i'm really trying hard here"
The guy had options. In the end, he took a poopee on his neighbors.
But I think roland has grown here: he understands that he is in no way capable of maintaining a household. good for him and good for us.
I wasnt going to take it there. Roland may be a perfectly capable and sensible person in real life.
And ultimately, i would not have put this guy in jail... But i dont see a problem with the fact he was. I dont see this as some egregious miscarriage of justice. Im not outraged either way.
What outrages me is how people on this board, and others, continue to defend the people that arent even trying. This guy could have tried to fix his lawn. He could have shown in court. He could have done any million things, but couldnt put forth the effort to even give it a shot.... and people are defending him?
Hand tending 5 acres of grass from seed is a monumental undertaking, so he's kind of screwed in that regard without a viable irrigation system, and fresh sod. His family could have pulled out shovels and hoe's and helped pay for the probably I'm guessing 60 - 80+ yards of topsoil he would need for seeding over sod, but that's gotta be upwards of $3000 just for the earth. If anything his family living with him is lazy... not him. A 66 year old guy hand turning and tending to 5 acres of land, if it's even possible without wrecking the existing irrigation tubing and sprinkler heads, would probably land him in the hospital with a thrown back. His options are $3000 plus of topsoil and seeding, or mechanically having landscaping services shave the entire property at the root level and then resod. The cheapest is just tilling over, and re compacting the soil, but that would probably demolish his irrigation system, which would cost him even more money in the end.
He found himself unable to make ends meet, and was forced to spend time in jail in order to keep his head above water financially, or some could say hey. just make more money, and work more hours (easier said than done perhaps), but to say he's lazy for not being able to spread a little seed around, and sprinkle some water is just naive.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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just seed and put a sprinkler out there. Dude was retired, he had the time to move the little sprinkler head around.
Show me grass that can grow on concrete without soil and nutrients to form a root system, and I'll give you a noble prize....maybe two...and some patents.
Believe me I know how to grow grass in various climates and you can't just toss seed down and have it grow. You need soil, and contact with the soil, and a steady supply of water to get anywhere near a successful germination ratio. Otherwise you're just tossing money in the garbage.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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Dude, he didnt even TRY. not a patch. Not time with a hose to make it look like he even cared.
Would he have been able to do it? Who knows (ive grown grass, and its not hard to get the grass down, and then its just water- but we arent going to agree on it). But i think the HOA, and the Court would have been a lot more forgiving if the guy just didnt ignore the problem altogether.
I was referring to sod, and it DOES grow on concrete. But Bermuda seed will grow in florida dirt just fine without preperation. all this "backfill" and "hydration" and "fertilization". Dude, seed, water, and dirt. thats it.
I'm assuming he was already in way over his head when his mortgage shot up $600, so every dollar spent was one less against the house or food to feed his family. That's a lot of land to have as manicured lawn....a ridiculous amount actually. I'm guessing this guy got caught between a rock and a hard place, and is going to wind up selling his house very soon. If this is not the case, then he should at least topped up the area's closest to the sidewalk, for a couple hundred, a bit of sweat, and some spare time. It's a bit of both, but they wanted his back yard redone as well. I imagine he got as pissed off as the neighbors did eventually, and felt like the situation aka his life and circumstances was just not getting a fair shake.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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"life circumstances" "fair shake" "rock and a hard place" "way over his head"
Boy, i'd sure like to have you on my team the next time I fuck up and want to avoid it.
He could probably carefully dethatch the heck out of his property with a machine, spread and rake in some seed, and roll it over. That would probably be the cheapest, and then buy a bunch of hoses, and essentially build a manual mock irrigation system on top of his existing one with a couple dozen sprinklers...or just keep moving one around for a couple weeks until the seed takes hold. If the seed dries out at any point...no dice. But then again if he can't even afford a pot to piss in in the first place, it's kinda all moot, as it the XYZ brand sod route.
He should sell if he can right now hopefully without losing a bunch of cash on his investment, and downsize. Looks like he got burnt.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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( o.O)
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