Woman Faces Jail Time for Planting Organic Vegetable Garden

Woman Faces Jail Time for Planting Organic Vegetable Garden

moneyland.time.com

A Michigan woman is being charged with a misdemeanor offense and is facing up to 93 days in jail. Her crime? Planting a vegetable garden—in her own yard. Her front yard, that is.

Like many consumers today, Julie Bass, of Oak Park, Mich., appreciates the taste and healthfulness of organic vegetables

Front yard or back, it’s her property, and she’s allowed to do with it what she pleases, right? Wrong, say the local authorities, citing local codes that require front yards to have only “suitabl

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Video:
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Okay, so I don't think this is necesarily a conspiracy theory because it's a very local matter it seems.

But it's code enforcement and is that a state-level issue or a federal one? I'm not sure i'm asking.

At the end of the day.... WHAT THE HELL???
This doesn't seem to be a condo, it seems to be her own house so it is a property rights issue.
I would understand if it was a condo syndicate, but that's not the case at all.

What the hell is going on here?

moneyland.time.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by ModernAcademia
But it's code enforcement and is that a state-level issue or a federal one? I'm not sure i'm asking.

It's neither, code enforcement is handled at the city level.

Originally posted by ModernAcademia
This doesn't seem to be a condo, it seems to be her own house so it is a property rights issue.
I would understand if it was a condo syndicate, but that's not the case at all.

It's not a property rights issue, it's a code violation issue. She's violating the local codes and ordinances. She's free to plant whatever she wants in her backyard because back there it's an eyesore that no one else has to suffer with, but there are limits in most incorporated areas as to what you can do in your front yard. Likewise you can't set up an animal pen or in many cases fencing, nor can you have a car sitting on the grass in most areas.

Originally posted by ModernAcademia
But it's code enforcement and is that a state-level issue or a federal one? I'm not sure i'm asking.

Neither, it's a local code so it's a local issue. Most cities do have ordinances and codes regarding the upkeep of your property that can lead to fines or jail time if you refuse to keep your property maintained, and this isn't that different. The purpose of those is usually to keep the neighborhoods from looking trashy with knee high grass and junk scattered around people's yards. The article says she was warned first so she had the opportunity to plant the garden in her back yard but didn't. It's a pain to dig up and re-plant things, but it can be done. Not that I think jail time over a garden is reasonable, it's not. But she did have the opportunity to avoid it when they came knocking and warned her about it.

If you all read the whole story you would see that the city is claiming that the front yard has to planted with "suitable" plant material. The planning director states that "Suitable" is defined is the dictionary as "Common". I looked up the definition of "Suitable" and could not find any definition that included common, even as a synonym.

The bigger story here is the abrogation of private property rights by governments at evey level. Photos of the yard show a well-maintained and manicured garden. I see no problem with her choice of landscaping materials.

I'll tell ya, its rare I see a sloppy garden. Especially one that is used to teach on how to garden. So how is a garden an eye sore or any different than a flower bed or hell, a bush? And Jail time is given, after 1 warning? Yes there are plenty of stupid codes/laws in our world but common sense should tell these police not to arrest and jail her for planting a garden.

To defend the actions of the police and town in anyway is un-American.

I knew a guy from South, or North doesn't matter, Dakota and he told that if he saw 3 or more Native Americans on his property he could view them as a war party and by law is allowed to kill them. According to him that law is still on the books.

So instead of defending this clear violation of basic human rights because it's a "law" written in black and white somewhere, we should be pointing out how flawed All of these Many laws/codes and we should review and trash Most of them.

Laws are make-believe, people. They're not real. We made them up

Originally posted by kozmo
If you all read the whole story you would see that the city is claiming that the front yard has to planted with "suitable" plant material.

I did read the whole story, which is how I knew she was warned first.

By "suitable" they mean grass, trees, bushes, flowers, flowering bushes, flowering trees, etc. Things typically considered decorative when it comes to plants and landscaping. Not food, which a vegetable garden is. The purpose is to keep the town from looking trashy. The code could definitely be worded better so that it clearly states what "suitable" means, but most of them could really. Common sense would tell you to put the veggies in the back like everybody else does. Again, I don't agree with jail time for it, but she received a warning and a ticket before they went to misdemeanor.

Originally posted by SavedOne
It's not a property rights issue, it's a code violation issue.

the code violation seems to be a violation of property rights... clearly!

It's her lawn, if the lawn is owned by her and is under her name the city should have no say in having a beautiful garden like hers planted there.

reply to post by Jenna


How is a tomato garden trashy?

How is any garden trashy?

There is a video of her garden, what do you think? Trashy?

It's not up the gov't what we can plant where on our property. Although they want it to be up to them because of these stupid codes they make and have their corrupt/brainwashed police enforce.

All to stop the trashy you say?

Nah

When the economy goes to hell and food is hard to come by, every one will probably want/have a veg garden in the front and the back yard. I wonder when they will decide that we need a dress code and that any B.O. (farting and bad breath as well) in public means instant death.

reply to post by Jenna


Jenna, you and folks who think like you are the reason that our rights are being eroded. You are no doubt the product of a public education that taught you that the law is supreme and human's have no questioning the authority of government. That is sad. A spot of common sense would tell you that she is doing nothing wrong and should not be harassed. A full does of common sense would have you thinking about what life, liberty and pursuit of happiness truly means. God help us all!

Originally posted by Jenna
Common sense would tell you to put the veggies in the back like everybody else does.

Seriously? What a load of bull crap. And what about fruit trees? I suppose "common sense" tells you that if they are ornamental fruit trees its okay but if you can actually eat them its not?

My front yard has many plants that are food crops, flowering herbs, two pomegranate trees, a fig tree and we plant all sorts of vegetables between the flowers. Have had many compliments from the neighbors.

I totally agree that if a yard is not well kept it becomes an eyesore and devalues other peoples property... but this charge?

PURE INSANITY

Oh and stay out of my garden.... we can still shoot people here in Nevada

Yes, I would agree that the city has no right on private property. I would have shot any one who trespassed onto my property. Just makes me wish I lived in Texas were you still have rights it would seem. I would fight this all the way to the supreme court.

Originally posted by Reaper2137
Yes, I would agree that the city has no right on private property. I would have shot any one who trespassed onto my property. Just makes me wish I lived in Texas were you still have rights it would seem. I would fight this all the way to the supreme court.

So you would shoot someone over a few veggies?
nice real nice

Originally posted by kozmo
reply to post by Jenna

 

Jenna, you and folks who think like you are the reason that our rights are being eroded. You are no doubt the product of a public education that taught you that the law is supreme and human's have no questioning the authority of government. That is sad. A spot of common sense would tell you that she is doing nothing wrong and should not be harassed. A full does of common sense would have you thinking about what life, liberty and pursuit of happiness truly means. God help us all!

While I totally agree with you about the property rights issue, I really wish that people would stop blaming everything about anyon who disagrees with them on public education. I don't know where everyone gets this idea that all schools are socialist, leftist, propaganda machines. Most schools reflect the flavor of their local community. To do otherwise means too many run ins for the administrators and the school board with parents. I think there are much bigger things in our society that are contributing to the dumb it down and step in line mentality than school. I do believe that there was a time when many liberal ideas were pushed in education but that was a reflection of the times and the baby boomers. They are about to retire in large numbers and have been slowly replaced by young Reagan Republicans. Of the four districts closest to me the most rural is Ron Paul territory and the kids are pretty much taught that way. The poorest is run like it is 1940 in terms of discipline but they have decent stats for the poverty they are up against. The rich suburban school is the most idealistic and at the same time unquestioning. They do think Obama is practically God and it is reflected in their classrooms. The most urban of the districts is a mish mosh with a little bit of everything reflected in the teachers and in the students.
Sorry to wander off topic.

What a load of equine fecal matter. Her veggie garden is beautiful, and is in no way an eyesore. It certainly looks FAR better than 99% of the front yards here in Florida. I would much prefer a beautiful vegetable garden over a mish-mash of plants tossed in to the ground, or barren lawns with no vegetation at all.
I don't care what the local code says, sometimes people need to take a step back and consider whether or not something is truly worth making a mountain out of a mole hill over.

And if those city officials want to see a horrid lawn, come to Florida. Some people here are into native vegetation only yards, and they look awfully trashy.

Pure insanity!

I think everyone in her street/neighborhood should plant vegetables in their front yards, making it a "common" occurrence... thus "suitable" by their own reasoning. Then the city can charge people for having decorative, non-functional plants in their front yard (i see some contradictions on the horizon)... what a waste of time and tax payer dollars.

To Jenna... how can you even try to defend this?!?!? The original "warning" that she got was erroneous to begin with, and she was completely right to ignore such idiocy and fascism.

I'm glad I don't live in the USA!

This is the pinnacle of stupidity!

reply to post by Travlla


Your damn right I would, its this kind of crap that our founding fathers fought against.

Personally I consider lawns full of weeds imported from another continent that suck up gallon after gallon of valuable water, induced to grow in foreign climates by chemical fertilizers, and the useless harvest of which causes me pain at the sight of fat men chugging along on their little riding mowers to be WAY tackier than a vegetable garden.

it's the code, but let's be honest; the code is wrong.

reply to post by Jenna


We plant vegetables all over here. Just so you know. Front, back wherever we wish to put them. Never got told our property was trashy, only that we improved the run down place enormously and rave reviews over it.

Only NAZI's think they have that right, and any citizen worth there salt woudn not comply with those rules ever.