With the rain and sunshine that comes with spring, weeds are popping up at a rapid rate which puts Lubbock citizens at risk of violating city code.
According to Codes Enforcement, they will be out in neighborhoods daily to make sure people’s lawns are in regulation.
Code Enforcement Director, Stuart Walker, said if yards are exceeding eight inches in height, then it becomes a violation that homeowners can be written up for.
“If my inspectors find a property in violation they leave a notice and we send a notice via mail to the property owner listed on the tax records,” Walker said. “Those individuals then have seven days to bring that property into compliance.”
Walker said if the problem is not taken care of, the homeowners can face up to a $200 fine.
One renter, Abby Herring, said she lives next to an abandoned home, and that she has had to call codes because it became a hazard for her dog.
“It’s really frustrating because we maintain our yard and then the house is bad, the yard is awful, and it doesn’t seem like anyone is taking care of it,” Herring said. “I can’t walk my dog down the street without the weeds getting out of hand.”
Walker said his department is not concerned with the aesthetic appeal, but the safety concerns that come with tall weeds.
“Tall weeds provides habitat for vermin and wildlife that could spread disease, we’ve got opossums, foxes, coyotes,” Walker said. “And when tall weeds die out, they become fire hazards.”
If you would like to report any overgrowth in your area, you can call the weed hotline at: 775-2290
