City Council Reprimands Man for Being Too Tidy a Gardener

By Alex in Crime & Law, Home & Garden on Oct 16, 2008 at 1:52 pm

Brian Hubbard, a 72-year-old man from Herefordshire, England, got into trouble with his city’s council because … his garden is too tidy!

A dedicated gardener has been banned from trimming the grass outside his house – because it is TOO tidy.

Brian Hubbard, 72, has been mowing, weeding and edging the verge outside his home for the past eight years.

But now Herefordshire Council have ordered him to stop because he is encroaching on council-owned grass. The letter ordered the removal of garden tools and furnishings, path and bed covering material, and all vegetation not in keeping with the surrounding area. It warned if there was still a problem after that period, works would be carried out and re-charged to him.

Mr Hubbard branded the council’s warning as absurd. ‘The council said it sent me this letter after noticing that my grass verge was tidier than the other ones on the street’ he said.

Photo: Caters News Agency Ltd

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Ali S.
Oct 16th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Ah, bureaucrats. Who doesn’t love them.
Gerry
Oct 16th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Socialists do not like anyone to stand out in the crowd.

Go back and watch the Apple “1984″ commercial….
DOJ
Oct 16th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
He’s making us look lazy, quick, sue him!
Edward
Oct 16th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
In Texas, 20 years ago, I tried to take care of a public area that was adjacent to my back yard. It was treated with herbicides, bulldozers and scorn.

Let them draw the line. Take care of what is yours and let them take care of what is theirs.
Goober
Oct 16th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
So, the article proves the headline wrong. It’s not because *his* garden is too tidy, it’s because he’s encroaching on property that simply isn’t his. Given the squatting laws in the UK (that let you steal someone’s property if they don’t notice you’re using it), it’s right and proper that they slam him for this.
Stuart
Oct 16th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
It looked better in the before he started mowing it photo. He’s made it rather sterile.
Tim
Oct 16th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Too tidy? What about “because he is encroaching on council-owned grass” Sound to me like he is working on parts of the lawn that are not his own. Too tidy has nothing to do with it other than a news reporter trying to invent controvery…
Buzz
Oct 16th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
If someone came in my yard without asking and trimmed my plants, I’d kick their fucking ass.
Moodindigo
Oct 17th, 2008 at 3:50 am
If someone came in my yard without asking and trimmed my plants, I’d buy them a beer.
ted
Oct 17th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Verges and footpaths, eh?

Looks like this is in front of the dude’s house. If he’s making it appear that there is no path there anymore, people may not feel as if they can walk over the public path.

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