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Officials Sue Couple Who Removed Their Lawn 819

Posted by kdawson
from the revenge-of-the-lawn dept.
Hugh Pickens writes "The LA Times reports that Orange County officials are locked in a legal battle with a couple accused of violating city ordinances for replacing the grass on their lawn with wood chips and drought-tolerant plants, reducing their water usage from 299,221 gallons in 2007 to 58,348 gallons in 2009. The dispute began two years ago, when Quan and Angelina Ha tore out the grass in their front yard. In drought-plagued Southern California, the couple said, the lush grass had been soaking up tens of thousands of gallons of water — and hundreds of dollars — each year. 'We've got a newborn, so we want to start worrying about her future,' said Quan Ha, an information technology manager for Kelley Blue Book. But city officials told the Has they were violating several city laws that require that 40% of residential yards to be landscaped predominantly with live plants. Last summer, the couple tried to appease the city by building a fence around the yard and planting drought-tolerant greenery — lavender, rosemary, horsetail, and pittosporum, among others. But according to the city, their landscaping still did not comply with city standards. At the end of January, the Has received a letter saying they had been charged with a misdemeanor violation and must appear in court. The couple could face a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for their grass-free, eco-friendly landscaping scheme. 'It's just funny that we pay our taxes to the city and the city is now prosecuting us with our own money,' says Quan Ha."

Comment: Re:Pinto of console (Score 1) 142

by BenBenBen (#27584417) Attached to: Microsoft Extends Xbox 360 Warranty To E74 Errors
The plural of anecdote isn't data, despite this thread setting out to prove otherwise - but between myself and 2 friends I'm aware of 6 or 7 xboxen that haven't failed once, the oldest of which dates back to about 2 months after launch. I've also been gaming since I were a nipper and other than vaguely missing Gran Turismo I've never felt the need to run out and buy a PS3 or wii. Keeping GTA PS-exclusive would probably have got me buying one though.

Never have so many understood so little about so much. -- James Burke