Lawn Cops

Mow your lawn or else:

Dunedin's politicians often impose heavy fines for minor transgressions. One resident told us, "They fined me $32,000 for a hole the size of a quarter in my stucco ... For a lawn mower in my yard ... They fine people they can pick on ... and they keep picking on them." It happens elsewhere, too. Charlotte, North Carolina, fined a church for "excessive pruning." Danbury, Connecticut, charged a resident $200,000 for leaving his yard messy. Bargil notes, "It's pretty apparent that code enforcement is a major cash cow."

Cut or run...