A Dunedin man faces sky-high fines and possible foreclosure on his home after code enforcement cited him for overgrown grass in his yard.
Jim Ficken returned home last summer to find the grass in his yard grew more than 10 inches tall. Ficken spent most of his time in South Carolina
helping take care for his late mother's estate.Ficken says the man who mowed his yard unexpectedly died and the grass hadn't been cut.City code enforcement officers noticed and started fining Ficken $500 a day, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Pinellas County. The fines mounted to nearly $30,000
before the city notified Ficken of the problem, according to Ficken.
"That's about five or six years of living expenses for me. So, they're really trying to take five years of my life."
Attorneys with the Institute for Justice are now representing Ficken free of charge, claiming the fines are excessive.
Comment: