Texas man jailed for not mowing his yard

[TexasTowelie]

Rick Yoes turned himself in to the Tarrant County jail Saturday for a 17-day sentence after failing to maintain his lawn for decades.

A man in Grand Prairie Texas is in jail after almost 20 years stubbornly defying city orders that he cut his lawn. Last summer, a warrant was issue for his arrest.

Rick Yoes turned himself into the Tarrant County jail on Saturday to do time on $1,700 in fines he'd incurred for overgrown brush in his front yard. Online media have called the penalty excessive, but local law enforcement said city officials had offered Yoes help with his lawn for years.

"I can assure you our city would never simply place a citizen in jail for failing to mow their grass," said Officer Mark Beseda with the Grand Prairie Police Department.

He said city code enforcement officers, responding to neighbor complaints, had visited Yoes' home 32 times since 1996, issuing 59 violations and six citations for the lawn. Officials with the City of Grand Prairie said citations are issued when grass and weeds exceed 12 inches and trees or shrubs obstruct sidewalks or streets. Photos taken by city officials show vines hanging from a tree, low enough to brush the windshield of a passing truck.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/houston-texas/article/Long-grass-lands-Texas-man-in-jail-6181645.php

[font color=green]Let the Texas man jokes begin in 3, 2, 1 ...[/font]