Lawn care goes by wayside at foreclosed homes in village

Overgrown grass sprinkled with weeds is yet another sign of today's tough economy.

As the number of home foreclosures rises in Arlington Heights, so does the number of unkempt lawns, according to village officials.

In response, the village board recently approved a new ordinance that will make it easier to clean up lawns of vacant properties and fine their owners for the work.

"We've had an increase in the number of complaints this year," said Health Department Director James McCalister. "Neighbors are upset, and that's understandable. People live in really nice homes, and then one person on the block never cuts their lawn."

Under the old system, after a complaint was made officials would inspect the property, and if they found it unkempt, they would mail out a certified letter telling the homeowners to cut their grass or the village would do it for them. This year, however, officials are finding those homeowners have packed up and left so they're not receiving the certified letters. Starting on Friday, Sept. 26, officials will simply notify the homeowner by posting a sign on the property.

Owners then have seven days to address the problem before the village intervenes.

Five properties in Arlington Heights have all received more than one complaint, village officials said in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. They are on the 100 block of South Evergreen Avenue, the 1900 block of North Verde Drive, the 200 block of East Sunset Drive, the 1000 block of South Chestnut Avenue and the 400 block of Hintz Road.

Unkempt lawns aren't just an aesthetic problem, McCalister said. "It's a heath issue," he said. "Lawns not attended to can harbor insects and rodents."

In 2007, 24 certified letters about unkempt lawns went unclaimed. This year that number almost doubled to 42 letters, McCalister said.

The increase in complaints is due to a combination of a bad economy and a lot of rain this season, he said.

"We're seeing a lot of weeds on construction lots where projects have started but not finished," McCalister said.

The average charge to cut a homeowner's lawn is $105, although that varies depending on the size of the lot. The village charges an additional $50 service fee. If homeowners don't pay the bill, the village will put a lien on the property, McCalister said. Officials plan to cut the lawns of between seven and 10 of the worst offending properties this fall.