Owasco cracks down on unmowed lawns
Posted: 06.10.2011 at 7:10 PM

OWASCO -- It's been a busy summer for Owasco landscapers like Allen Stroude. He says the grass is growing so fast it's been hard to keep up.

"It's just growing faster; pretty much once a week we get most of our accounts," Stroude said.

But not everyone in Owasco is mowing their grass.

Owasco Town Supervisor, John Klink said, "Nobody wants to look at that (tall grass) across the street, kitty corner or next door. But if they don't do it we will take action."

Klink said most folks are mowing their lawns but a few residents are letting them go and that's a problem.

"If you're in a rural area that's different. But if you're in a residential area like we are here, then people have an obligatin to take of their property," Klink said.

The town of Owasco already has a law on the books to deal with this situation. By law town residents have to mow their lawns once a month from May 31st until November 1st.

If homeowners don't take care of their lawns the town will have it mowed for them and make the homeowner foot the bill. Klink says the town approved a resolution Thursday to cut the grass of 3 residents who have yet to mow their lawns. Klink says the town is reluctant to go onto residents private property, but he says the homeowners have had plenty of warnings and now time is running out.

"Ninety-nine percent of the people in Owasco take great pride in their property and once in awhile you have a property owner who doesn't take care of it and that's when we have to act," Klink said.

Klink says those who have yet to cut their lawns have until June 17th to do so. After that, the town of Owasco will hire a landscaper to do it and will add the cost of the service to the homeowners tax bill.