A fine was recently issued to a Buffalo resident because the grass in their front yard had grown too long. Apparently, this is actually a real offense in Buffalo which can result in a financial penalty, despite seeming absurd and very petty.

According to the victim of the fine, they said on social media: “My sister received a bill in the mailbox from the city for the grass being too high in the front yard. Here’s a picture of the bill and grass area haha. It’s a rental and was just mowed a little bit ago.” As seen by the image below, while the grass could be shorter, it’s not exactly an eyesore, and nor is it a public safety hazard, so the fine does seem very harsh.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Firstly, the victim may be able to fight the fine and win an appeal. This is because it isn’t her property, and cutting the grass may technically fall into the responsibility of the property owner. The fine does say “duty of owner” after all, which implies it is not the responsibility of the renter.

Secondly, the fine also reads, “Grass on the front lawn exceeds 10 inches in length. Duty of owner to cut grass.” – This may be argued differently, as most of the grass in the picture looks below 10 inches.

Speaking on this, one Buffalo resident claimed: “This is not fake. It happened to us in South Buffalo a number of years ago. My husband fought it by taking a ruler out and photographing him measuring the grass. It worked.”

With this said, it sounds like the victim has a strong case if this is appealed. It also highlights a pettier side of the Buffalo council which could be accused of purposely targeting people in the aid of a quick buck – which isn’t a good look. Based on this, we can only hope that this fine is overturned.