what will the city of Madison do to a homeowner who isn't taking care of their property? (Huntsville: 2014, how much)

[LCTMadison]

City ordinance is a foot, so if their grass is not being cut and its that tall, call the city. They will send someone to cut it and send a HUGE bill to the homeowner.

[TN2HSV]

Well hot damn, somebody mowed it today! Crisis averted.

Hay will be ready to bale shortly

[TN2HSV]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

City ordinance is a foot, so if their grass is not being cut and its that tall, call the city. They will send someone to cut it and send a HUGE bill to the homeowner.

Thanks for that info

Fir all I know someone who lives closer to this house already complained. I'm just glad it's done.

[MisterEd51]

Originally Posted by TN2HSV

Well hot damn, somebody mowed it today! Crisis averted.

Hay will be ready to bale shortly

Maybe the owner was tipped off by someone who reads these forums. You never know who lurks around here.

[needtosellmyhome]

Originally Posted by TN2HSV

There's a house in our subdivision...first one on left as you enter. I think the home is vacant, or maybe being rented. Occasionally, someone shows up and mows the grass. Well, it's been so long now since anyone has mowed, it has gone to seed in the front yard! It's a foot tall in some spots.

There's a house directly across from them that is for sale, and we are for sale further into the subdivision, but this is what you see first thing and it's hurting the entire neighborhood. If I contact the city, can they/will they do anything? We aren't a covenant-restricted neighborhood, unfortunately.

Thanks for any advice.

The City of Madison has two full time code enforcement officers. If it was mowed today it may have already been cited and if they didn't cite it then they may not have known about it so if it gets that high again in the future you can call them.

Madison, AL - Official Website - Code Enforcement

Code Enforcement

Code Enforcement is concerned with the preservation, maintenance, and aesthetics of all residential, commercial, and industrial properties within the City of Madison. Code Enforcement, in a joint effort with property owners and tenants, helps ensure that Madison is a premier city in which to live, work, and raise a family.

The top five violations & complaints received:

• Grass & Weeds
  It shall be a violation for any person to permit grass & weeds to grow to a height in excess of 12 inches on any premises or lot owned by such person within the City.
• Prohibited Parking / Storage of Inoperable Vehicles
  Inoperable vehicles must be parked/stored on a paved driveway and covered with a car cover. Inoperable vehicles cannot be parked /stored on public streets.
• Front Yard Parking
  Parking of motorized vehicles shall be prohibited within the yard area between the street and the building, except on a paved driveway.
• Other Parking Restrictions in Residential Zones
  It shall be unlawful for any person, whether owner or operator, to leave on any public street any recreational vehicle, mobile home, motor home, boat or trailer.
• Maintenance of Land
  All land shall be maintained free from any accumulation of garbage, litter, debris, blight or deterioration.

Information on services and maintenance performed by the City of Madison Public Works Department can be obtained by calling 256-772-0000 or by visiting their website.

For more information, please contact us via email or call (256) 772-5644. You may also Report a Violation.

[needtosellmyhome]

Things like this are exactly why I WANT a neighborhood with an HOA and strict covenants. Bring 'em on! I've never read through a set of covenants that I thought was too restrictive. Keeps crap like this from happening.

Originally Posted by djmaxwell

It won't.

Not true. The neighborhood that I currently live in has two ladies that work in the community clubhouse that strictly enforce the covenants. In fact, they typically mail out between 30 and 50 notices per month for various infractions (yes, between thirty and fifty notices per month). If those properties are not brought into compliance within a certain amount of time the process escalates from there to liens placed on the property. I know of one case in the neighborhood recently where a new homeowner had put up curtains in one of their front windows that were not "neutral" in color (our covenants state that all window treatments are to be neutral in color). Those homeowners were forced to remove those curtains from their window or put neutral colored blinds in the window to block the color of the curtains. Lawns with weeds a foot high in this neighborhood would never fly without the HOA forcing them to do something about it and we are not permitted to have any weeds in our lawns or flower beds at all. I know of someone here that got a letter because they had some weeds growing in between their front street curbing and the street/asphalt. All of us that live here agreed to abide by the covenants when we purchased our homes.

[catfishin2000]

Originally Posted by needtosellmyhome

I know of one case in the neighborhood recently where a new homeowner had put up curtains in one of their front windows that were not "neutral" in color (our covenants state that all window treatments are to be neutral in color). Those homeowners were forced to remove those curtains from their window or put neutral colored blinds in the window to block the color of the curtains.

How can anyone live like that? Having someone watching you so close they know and complain about the color of curtains?

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by needtosellmyhome

Not true. The neighborhood that I currently live in has two ladies that work in the community clubhouse that strictly enforce the covenants. In fact, they typically mail out between 30 and 50 notices per month for various infractions (yes, between thirty and fifty notices per month). If those properties are not brought into compliance within a certain amount of time the process escalates from there to liens placed on the property. I know of one case in the neighborhood recently where a new homeowner had put up curtains in one of their front windows that were not "neutral" in color (our covenants state that all window treatments are to be neutral in color). Those homeowners were forced to remove those curtains from their window or put neutral colored blinds in the window to block the color of the curtains. Lawns with weeds a foot high in this neighborhood would never fly without the HOA forcing them to do something about it and we are not permitted to have any weeds in our lawns or flower beds at all. I know of someone here that got a letter because they had some weeds growing in between their front street curbing and the street/asphalt. All of us that live here agreed to abide by the covenants when we purchased our homes.

Now that seems over to top.

I get the weeds/lawn care issue. I think folks should be able to personalize their own home as long as its not a distraction or over the top. Putting up non-neutral colors doesn't seem an issue to me, but thats me.

The problem with HOA covenants is that they are written by lawyers and in many cases are hard to understand. I've read ours several times and I still don't get all the rules or understand them. Many people blindly go into these subdivisions without knowing the HOA rules.

One problem I do have is when the HOA allows one thing for one house but won't allow the same thing for another. That ticks me off.

[TN2HSV]

You can have any color drapery you like, as long as they are lined with a neutral color so that you don't see red, purple, green, etc from the street. Most nice curtains/drapes are lined anyway, so this isn't an issue.

[Renaldo78]

Does Limestone County have any kind of code enforcement?