This proves the government is TOO BIG! We need to cut ALL government in 1/2 NOW!

1/2? How about 1/4 or 1/8?

Put these petty bureaucrats out of a job.

Now that’s what I call a community that gets behind you (and kicks you in the butt). Good old police involvement always gets the job done. I wonder how much that jail time costs the community? Around here it is about $500/day. The neighbors should stop complaining too, and be happy that the house hasn’t turned into an abandoned crack house. I’m sure her junk won’t drop their real estate values any further, especially after this story and nobody wants to live around a bunch that can’t mind their own business.

Look at the picture. This is a JUNKYARD. Would you want to live next to this? Yes government can be overreaching, but she refused offers of help and ignored summons. There is more at work here than being broke. I’d bet she is a hoarder or some other mental illness. Where are here relatives?

I’m not sure Jim50 what this has to do with too much government (I agree its too big though), I sure wouldn’t like to see that mess next door to my house, did you see the picture? She should have a yard sale if she’s already got all of the junk in the yard. Or, maybe she is doing a photo essay…

They need to deport her neighbors to Cuba.

And this has what to do with the fact that she has a junk yard in front of her house? You want to live next door to that?

that yard is a disgrace. she should be in jail

Have a little compassion

That is a file photo, not the actual house in the story.

Read the fine print.

Your all dip-sh^ts, she had plenty of opportunities and was offered help. She went to jail for an unpaid fine and failures to appear in court not for the yard condition. She is very inconsiderate to her neighbors and the community.

I’m pretty sure that is a stock photo of an evicted household, not the household in question. Terribly disingenuous and deceitful of this CBS affiliate if that is the case.

File photo for dramatic effect. Actual House probably not shown… read the fine print.

I don’t think that is really her yard; the identifier is for a stock photo, not her actual place. Pretty bad reporting if that is the case.

Government is a bunch of power tripping ego maniacs. People that are paid with your wealth, extracted through taxation, with the threat of death force if you don’t play their inflated salaries. They are the degenerates.

http://911essentials.com

That pretty much describes all news media here lately.

Actually, it is the house. The “file photo” indicates that the photo may not have been taken recently. It’s like when they show a “file photo” of a murder suspect the police are trying to find.

Why stop at ugly yards? If appearance is the deciding factor here, when will we have punishments and fines for ugly people intentionally going out in public where they ruin the ability of others to enjoy the scenery.

And why even stop with just ugly people? How about massive fines and imprisonment for fat people and those who wear clothing that has gone out of style? And people with yapping dogs…. and beer bellies… and dyed hair… and those who say, “like, well…like, you know….”?

It says, “file photo”. This is not the yard in question

I would bet it’s a picture of a foreclosure with the former owner’s stuff thrown out.

She missed the boat here. She should have called it an art piece and then she would have had people describing her genius.

And if there were vermin in there, she could have said it was a endangered species habitat.

People need to start hitting government with their own rules and see how they like it.

alanwillingham, you sir, are an ass.

It says, “file photo”. This is not necessarily the yard in question

I would bet it’s a picture of a foreclosure with the former owner’s stuff thrown out.

The story headline is a complete LIE!
This woman was not “jailed for having a messy yard,” she was jailed for obeying the law. Even the article states: “A municipal judge ordered Ruggles to pay the fine or go to jail for 10 days. Officials say she didn’t pay the fine within 90 days and then ignored court appearances and warnings from the town.”

Sarcasm.Look it up.

Sounds like you would be very happy in the Socialist Village of Boulder, CO. They fine everything, like if you don’t shovel the snow off your sidewalk within 24 hours. Why don’ t you go there?

No, actually 1/2. And never start small when negiotiating with bureacrats so I say 3/4. .

CBS and Dan Rather – fake but accurate.

Actually it isn’t the house – here is a picture from the postandcourier.com

http://www.postandcourier.com/photos/2012/jan/11/98423/

And the full story to accompany it…. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/jan/12/junky-yard-puts-woman-in-jail/

This is typical for Mount Yuppie. They pride themselves in looking good and making sure property taxes drive out the scary black people. They’re only welcome to sit along 17 in decrepit shacks and sell sweetgrass baskets to nitwit tourists.

Sioux you are correct. If you hold your cursor over the picture it states that it pertains to an eviction.

There was a much better way to handle this besides putting her in jail. Give her judicial notice and have a private contractor clean the mess up. Give her whatever time the law allows for her to redeem her junk and if she does not redeem it, then sell it at auction if possible. Any cost associated with the clean up and auction that are not paid for from the proceeds of the auction could then be placed against the property as a lien which would be satisfied at foreclosure or when the property is sold by the owner. Putting her is jail is like kicking someone when they are down. But of course that is what government is very good at.

I agree. Looked at the photo through an app, zoomed in and there are things there that are too clean to have been outside for a long period.

Plus the two people in the picture seem to be carrying something like furniture (looking through zoom).

The standing fan would be inside and isn’t junk. The Mylar or cloth pumpkin would have blown away. Cardboard boxes that are intact, without any sign of rain worn.

This picture and the contents look like someone moving in or moving out.

I don’t believe this to be the real picture.

I wouldn’t be too concerned with my neighbor’s opinion of my yard when I’m flat broke and unemployed. In fact, I would realize that it was busybodies just like these that are a big reason why I don’t have a job now and why no one is helping me, just complaining about my un-pretty yard. And fining me and throwing me in me jail. That helps everyone, right? Oh wait no – it just helps those who think their comfort is ALWAYS most important. She has sold blood and volunteered for medical experiments to get money. You don’t care. You just don’t want to have to be victimized by her messy yard. And that is much more important.

Hope she doesn’t junk up her jail cell.

And what kind of hardship did putting her in jail place on her family? Putting someone in jail should only be the last resort. What we have here is municipal authorities stepping all over this woman’s rights. Their crime is much greater than hers, but you won’t see them going to jail. What a bunch of fascist pigs. The day is coming when for little or no reason you too will be deprived of your liberty and your property for the most minor of infractions. You will think that what happened to this lady is just fine right up to the day that something similar happens to you or yours.

We had a similar instance in my town. The people refused to clean their junk, and refused to pay fines and work with the city. No one in city government, or even the judge, wanted to jail them. They refused every offer to mitigate the situation. Finally, one of them ended up in jail, then I believe the State Mental Hospital.

Usually, obsessive trash hoarders have some mental issues, although there are a lot of meth addicts who collect and hoard trash as well.

Does she not own the property where her stuff is kept? We pay a lot of money for that you know. Is it BS? Do others still have more right to it? Then pay my mortgage. No? Then shut up. No? Then excuse me if I don’t care what you think about anything.

Fake photo in article, actuall photo is not so bad. Hey it’s HER house!
Wake up sheeple the Government is out to control your every move!

This is ridiculous. Neighbors complaining should be neighbors helping this woman clean up if need be. After seeing the real house picture, not this stock photo link bait deception, I understand the need to clean up, what I do not understand is why the neighbors simply did not knock on her door, and say ” Hi Linda, what can we do to help you out. I’d be happy to work with you to avoid problems with the city.” This is what I, and any decent person, would do.

Buddy is a dummy.

.

My first thought was that she had been evicted from
her home and all her household belongings had been
removed from the house and put to the curb as trash.

[I've seen that happen here many times.]

The article says she had been selling blood to try
to keep her house from foreclosure.

If that is what happened, then that takes the cake.
Foreclose on your home, trash all your belongings,
fine you for the trashed belongings, then jail you
for not paying the fine. What a wonderful country.

.

@ urdrwho – You are displaying some excellent reasoning and investigated the facts of this meda story instead of just blindly accepted the account we are being fed. The photograph is certainly meant to show worst case sensationalism and may even be an attempt to mitigate the injustice of the situation in favor of a political stance supporting the overbearance of government. If you do this too often you will be a threat to someone.

.

Looks normal to me.

I wonder if an HOA is involved ?

.

What does the house being foreclosure have to do with having a messy yard? A poor person is still capable of picking up the junk in their yard. Why not have a yardsale?

There was a similar situation near where I live. Believe me, the local authorities did everything they could over a period of months before jailing the individual. Jailing the person “was” their last resort. Eventually, given enough time, non-compliance with the law with land you in jail.

Where i live the government can limit what you own. Messy or not

The app Tineye found another just like it at http://media.sbs.com.au/dateline/images/site_2_rand_872077700_american_house_0602_c_getty.jpg

Government way too big? Would you want Sanford and Sons living next to you? I wouldn’t want a landfill next to my house and really don’t think my neighbors would either.

This story was out a few months ago, its not junk in her yard its everything she owns she is running a yard sell to try and raise money for her house. The area has a rule about yard sales not lasting longer then 3 days so she was fined. If she cannot afford to pay for her house how can she afford fines? It is bs because it is her property and she should be able to do what she wants to with it.

Welcome to Mount Pleasant South Carolina…the sh** hole of the USA……………

.

Where do you live ?

I think that is why anti-hoarding shows are in vogue now.
They show extreme hoarding to condition the public mind
to accept anti-hoarding laws… except the anti-hoarding
laws that will be passed will affect normal people.

.

we are living in a police state nation.. never ever trust government or police or the legal syatem ever.

.

When a homeowner is evicted, all their belongings
are removed from the house and trashed at the curb.

In that file photo it appeared that had been done.

.

Achtung! Mach schnell!

So this is what “Hope & Change” looks like with Barack Mussolini in ofrfice and Eric Holder’s fascist Justice Dept calling the shots…

I live near one who is almost that bad. Ten days in jail is like kissing her feet, compared to what she deserves for maintaining that s-pile.

Another Obama voter heard from…

You want her to have another few years to clean it up?

Yes, by simply putting a cup full of urine on the front steps with a crucifix soaking in it, she could have gotten a few hundred thousand dollars in National Endowment of the Arts funding. Robert Maplethorpe would be proud.

From the photo source:
http://cbscharlotte.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/84616994.jpg?w=300
JPEG Image
22.69 KB (23,238 bytes)
300px × 197px
Families Are Evicted From Homes As Economic Crisis Worsens

Luckily she didn’t have a Ron Paul for President sign there or they would have given her six months.

@scruffy: “Eventually, given enough time, non-compliance with the law [will] land you in jail, **unless you are an illegal immigrant, in which case Eric Holder’s Justice Deprt. will give you a free pass**.”

/ FTFY

” … able to do what she wants” You sound like you oppose limits. Does she need to wear clothes outside? Do you?

Where does it end? You’re entirely too permissive and accepting. Can I walk into your home and make a peanut better sandwich for myself, using your stuff? OH! NOW SUDDENLY THERE _ARE_ LIMITS!!!

her address is available on whitepages.com. Plug that into google earth and look at the street view of what the mess in her driveway looks like. Its nothing like the file photo with the article, but it’s still messy and I would be TICKED if I were her neighbor!!! She has the right to do whatever she wants with her house as long as it doesn’t negatively affect others, but a mess like that DOES affect others by driving down the values of THEIR homes. If she turned down the offer of free help from local citizens, then she wanted to keep the mess. Not cool.

This persons response is an example of how far down our country has gone. Giggles why don’t you try reading a few books, and educating yourself? Instead of complaining to the police these people should checked on their neighbor and lent a hand. I would rather have neighgbors like Sanford, then anticeptic cowards like those hiding safely their homes reporting people. Neighborhoods were never intended to be about propety values, that came later along with politicians like Clinton, and Obama.

Aside from the death penality, jail is the biggest stripping of liberties. Jail for something so petty as this is absurd when jail should be reserved only for those who endanger society. Yes her yard may be messy and not the social norm, but jail? really? Wow!

Typical kneejerk response, from a deep thinker.

Just supposin’ — since she thinks letting her place look that way is okay’ — any chance she’s got other flaws, like being the neighborhood witch?

Yes, friends, I’ve been there, Years ago two neighbors, husband and wife, both nutcases who did e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y in the the neighborhood a favor when they moved. No more chain link fence around the front yard, no more screaming imaginary complaints. (I could go on.)

Any chance the neighbors can’t stand her … and it’s all her?? Just supposin’.

The photo of her actual yard, while cluttered, certainly looks like a clean up is managable. It also appears that she is still the owner of the house. When banks forclose, they take ownership of the property and the contents left behind. .

Unless you are selling your house right now, be thankful she has lowered your property taxes for the year. And as if she would always be flat broke and owning that home. You just don’t want to be put out for more than five minutes and you have decided that you are more entitled to comfort than she is. Have a little compassion and understanding for your neighbor’s life completely falling apart instead of deciding the view is more important.

O-o-o-oh … the awesome power of the Race Card! I tremble as you roar.

Looks like a typical Democrat’s house to me.

Would you consider the offer to bulldoze all your possessions into the landfill to be of benefit to you or would you know that this is being “offered” to themselves so they don’t have to look at it?

NOT COOL.

You sir are exactly correct! What sort of people have we Americans become? Looks and sounds to me like we indeed becoming the Ugly American, by throwing people in jail for this small gripe.

Clearly, she needed help, but more of a psychological nature. Only a sheriff like Andy of Mayberry cold have handled this in a positive manner, not the blustering threats coming from a bunch of local Nazis who are in government offices.

Entitled to more comfort that she is?!?!?!? Where on earth did you get that ?!?!? If you knew anything about property taxes, you would know that although her mess decreases the value of neighboring homes, the county does not take that into consideration and property taxes are NOT lowered.

Sneak over there each night and throw one thing in a dumpster and before long it’s GONE ! This really works, I’ve Done it ! After that they wonder how their yard got so clean !

Did you even goolge earth her house and look at it:? Where did it say in the article they were going to bulldoze all her posessions into the landfill? It didn’t. They offered to help her clean up. Big difference.

I think this is wrong. She should have the right to do whatever she wants with her property.

Neighbors have the right to their property too. But they don’t have a right to their property VALUES. That’s something subjective that exists in other people’s minds.

If she spent money on beautifying her yard, thus raising her neighbor’s property values, should she be able to sue them for the increase?

Unless she voluntarily entered a contract or covenant preventing her from making a mess on her own property, she should be left alone.

I LOVE how everyone is willing to donate time and money to simply throw her things away, but the reason that stuff is still in the yard is because not one of these “helpful” people is buying anything in her yard sale. So altruistic it makes you puke, don’t it?

I received a “cease and dssist” order several years ago for non-compliance
with the community CCRs…the violation: sidewalk chalk on my driveway. My 6 year old daughter’s birthday gift from her Grandmother…on the day of her birthday.
“A gated, private and peaceful community” with 40 pages of written rules on
how you must conduct your affairs. I was given 24 hours to remedy my breach of contract, or a contractor would be hired for no less than a $500 service fee to remove it for me. I was told my daughter’s actions were lowering property values…mmmhhmmmmm…

We all understand a messy yard, and believe people should keep stuff picked up. But really resorting to jail time, thats a big steep. She did ignore notices and everything but still.
Just more of the times today

http://www.dailyjobcuts.com

How are they going to “clean it up”, FNP?

>Can I walk into your home and make a peanut better sandwich for myself, using your stuff?

It seems you don’t understand property rights.

RAy sorry it says right under it file photo. You pay a fee and Getty images lets you have acess to thousands of file photos. for whatever you want. May be she deserves the jail time or not .The article is certanly a hack job. Yellow journalism when I went to school.
(File photo of possessions on front yard. (credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

That’s the greedy counties fault, not your neighbors. My property taxes go down if the appraised value falls. If the county didn’t lower your appraised value, then what are you complaining about? Comp sheets will back you up.on the price you set and that is what a realtor will show a buyer. You are complaining about a “what if” that hasn’t happened to justify your contempt of this woman. It’s ugly.

Man, it’s not anywhere near as bad as the real photo:

http://www.postandcourier.com/photos/2012/jan/11/98423/

This is absurd!

I meant the real photo is not bad at all.
The photo shown on this page is absurd.

Yeah wow I’ve seen enough BURN HER!!!!!!!!!

Hmm, how about 1) for the things she does want, clean them up and help her put them where she wants them in her house/ garage / backyard / anyplace other than the driveway. 2) for the things she DOESN’T want, take those away for her so she doesn’t have to.

I t appears that you chose to buy and live there and would have been aware of 40 pages of rules. Thus, you have no valid complaint in as much as you chose to and agreed to live and function in agreement with them! I would not make such a decision myself. The above story is a disgrace and the authors and publishers should be disgraced. The file photo sensationalizes the story and totally misrepresents the house in question. go to this link to see the reality. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/jan/12/junky-yard-puts-woman-in-jail/

And you know for a fact that this offer of sorting was the offer made? I will wait right here for your answer.

She lives in town, where she has wonderful neighbors who ignored her until she intruded into their placid little lives. They don’t want to get involved with her problems. So, they call the cops. They are certainly similar to some of my old neighbors – shot my dog as it was walking down the dirt road in front of my house – then ran over some of my bushes and mail box trying to run over another neighbors dog. Lovely people, drove over on their tractor when I got back from a 4 month military TDY (Bosnia) to tell me that my grass had better be mowed ASAP, because it was driving their house values down. Oh, this was 6 miles from the nearest town…

jail time? how does that help the cleanup? let me answer for you….it’s stupid!
i agree

bet how much… you dummy
redd foxx quote.

si si senor

great retort alan ….. like you know?

beautiful response dave …. remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder
the trapper

simple community solution, a few pieces every night mysteriously disappear and in 2 months the problem is gone

My question is why did the Drudge report post this article and why is the drudge and mainstream media ignoring the story about the billionaire that was thrown in jail in Detroit today?

She did not go to jail because of a messy yard. She went to jail because she refused to answer to requests for court appearances. She was offered a lot of help and leeway to fix the problem but decided to ignore the problem. She got what she deserved.

Better than the A**Holes I live next to, or have lived next to.

Just another day in Police State Amerikka

Nobody wants to live next door to that, but it is utterly insane to imprison anybody for having a messy yard.

In an America where the president refuses to do anything about illegal immigrants, and actively works against those States th
at try to do something themselves, locking a woman up for a messy yard in just plain madness and clearly indicates the urgent need for a LOT less government and a LOT less Democrats elected.

So debtor’s jail is illegal unless the debt is to the government. Then it is required !

Absolutely! This nanny (& police) state totalitarian nonsense needs to cease!

I’d only call police if rats were involved. Then it’s a health hazard.
My neighbor has accused me of stealing from them, even though, I have been stolen from, as well. I put up a fence after the second accusation. Police won’t do a thing about the theft, but they find time in Mt. Pleasant to do this.

That probably lies in the cards of these statist totalitarians & their “nanny state” agenda.

There’s a guy down the street from me who has a yard full of trash – wood, empty containers, vehicle parts (including a transmission), and assorted junk. He’s also tore up the grass between with vehicles (looks like a hogwallow). This not only affects property values, it has also hampered the sale of 2 homes on the street. I have no sympathy for the slob in this story whatsoever.

….and placed on DHS’ Orwellian “domestic t3rr0r1st” watch list.

here’s the yard: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085884/Woman-spends-10-days-jail-480-fine-having-messy-yard–spent-money-trying-save-house-foreclosure.html

I happen to live there right now. I’ve only lived in 1 place for about 7 years that didn’t have complaining neighbors, so I’m guessing she’s the victim and not the perp.

If you see something , say something………….. it’s working. America the land of the managed , mandated , monitored and miserable.

So don’t live next door to her.

Who are you to say how I should keep my yard?

Who are people to tell me what colors I can and can’t paint my fence?

Worry about your own yard and your own house.

Then don’t live next to one.

You keep your house, if you own one which I doubt, how you want it and let others keep theirs how they want it.

If there aren’t rats or safety hazards from what is there then it is none of your business.

Perhaps you should buy her property if it means that much to you?

I’m guessing she did enter a contract. HOA’s are mini- dictatorships that only sheep or fools would join, I don’t care what you say.

I agree. Dwarves and fat chicks need to stay inside. They are distressing.

Was thinking she has a perpetual yrd sale, since she is hard up for money.

Oh, maybe my previous reply/comment doesn’t apply (about her having an ongoing yard sale) since we don’t know how much stuff she had, or waht kind of stuff.

No one has a “right” to any particular sale price for their home. The value of your home is what other people are willing to pay for it. It’s no one’s problem but your own if you can’t find someone who doesn’t mind living next to a neighbor with a cluttered yard. Go sue your neighbors for not all driving shiny new Lexuses and BMWs. Their 6-year old Nissan with the dull paint is hurting your property values!!! OMG!!!

If there wind is blowing their stuff into your yard, or leaking stuff into your ground, or bad odors are drifting over, or they have stuff that’s attracting harmful critters onto your property, then you have a legitimate complaint. They are modifying your property.

But otherwise, complaints about “property values” because some people think that sort of stuff is ugly are irrelevant. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Many people have the crazy idea that they actually own their property and can do on it whatever they please. Sad, silly little people.

Too many people with too much time on their hands. They mostly work in gov. or live on retirement. The coming collapse of the dollar will solve a lot of this problem.
The problem neighbors I have are now retired, but one used to work as a prison guard back in the 70′s, I not making that up!

It will happen.

Remember this when you vote…

since 2010. gotta admit she’s one hell of a procrastinator.

Yeah, her financial situation should have been resolved by time alone. Everyone knows no one else has been unemployed for years to the point where they needed to extend unemployment benefits several times and such. Or that the county and her neighbors have stood firmly against her from day one. Yeah, she’s a jerk and the people that want to throw her away are super duper sweeties.

Go look at the REAL pic, you heartless f**k

Yeah she should be thrown away for her ugly yard. You are a prize.

Remember what all these “she’s a slob and deserves it” flawless folks said when they’ve hit rock bottom.

crickets

I live near a private airport. Some people ask if the price will be lowered because of that and I tell them no, I was aware of the airport when I put the house on the market and I assume they were aware of it as well when they came to look at the house. I wouldn’t want my home to go to someone that considered it to be a letdown anyway. Pilots pay top dollar for homes in this area. The school district is excellent so parents pay top dollar to live in this neighborhood as well. Just depends on what is or isn’t important to you. If your property value depends on the appearance of a single home in the neighborhood, your neighborhood doesn’t offer much.

She was jailed for only 10 days???? What kind of softy government do we have? No wonder we are becoming a weak nation. She should get life in prison for a messy yard! I’m sure there is room at Gitmo for her.

why bother you will just vote in other people like them anyways cause there’s too many sheeple in this country that vote based on what the tv tells them and that is info that is far from fact. no abama 2012 no romney 2012

I believe the town went beyond what was needed to insure the health, safty and general welfare of the community. Do those who disagree with the verdict not realize that property like this effects property values, gives the enviroment for mice, snakes, mosquitoes ect. When you live in a community what you do does effects others. You must and have to live by your communities laws.

republicrat, 1/4 or 1/8 is even less than 1/2. What’s your idea of the right size?

If the lady is already selling her blood to make her mortgage payments she is not going to lose her house to avoid going to jail for a couple of days.

The city should just execute her or let her go, anything else is just plain stupid, with a capital S.

If the lady is already selling her blood to make her mortgage payments she is not going to elect to lose her house to avoid going to jail for a couple of days.

The city should just execute her or let her go, anything else is just plain stupid, with a capital S.

Mt. Pleasant is just over the bridge from Charleston, a place where the people make the entire south look bad.

I just got back from a one week vacation there and those are the angriest, worse drivers I have ever seen; and I once lived in Washington D.C. / northern Virgina so that is saying something.

I would rather live next door to her, than you, huffmamw,

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/jan/12/junky-yard-puts-woman-in-jail/
This article has a picture of the lady and the actual house.

Alan -You are absolutely right. Nosey neighbors and government officials have NO BUSINESS *DICTATING* how ppl want to live. Tired of being told what you can and can’t think, say and do? BLAME A LIBERAL!

well obviously it’s got to be by the difference between expenditures and receipts.. so around 1/3, probably more if GDP and inflation start going in opposite directions in the coming months/years.

If tthis lady can go to jail for her mess then OWS should have been locked up months ago. They have created a health hazard and safety hazard along with their mess

If tthis lady can go to jail for her mess then OWS should have been locked up months ago. They have created a health hazard and safety hazard along with their mess

I am not sure how a table full of stuff for sale and a moving trailer endanger your health and lower property values. Or are you responding to the fake pic attached to this story? Go look at the real pic and see what your fellow man cannot abide. It destroys them. Apparently.

How about your cat pooping in my yard and killing songbirds for fun? Their poop is a health hazard to me and my animals and is a known spreader of disease. The songbirds are dead and gone and don’t make nests here anymore. I am going to sue the hell out of you now. But first I’ll offer to destroy the cat to “solve all your problems” and act all indignant at your ingratitude when you turn me down.

^^ THIS ^^

Don’t get me started on the peoples republic of boulder. I used to do electrical work there. They actually have a big book of “approved” light fixtures. If a customer wanted a particular fixture, I would go to the permit offices and see if it was in the book. Can you believe that? If you own a dog, don’t go to boulder. In boulder, you are the “caretaker” of your dog. You can easily go to jail for things normal people do with their dogs all the time. An example would be leaving your dog in the car. The place is full of complete moron, ultra-liberals. What a wretched town…

Hmmmmm, when will the area’s patriots do what they should to the judge?

Criminal behavior is what gets a jail sentence, when someone has a messy private property, that is a fundamental right of FREEDOM.

The judge and the DA should be retaliated against, IMO.

She went to jail for that? That looks like all of the houses in my neighborhood, including mine! lolz

Yeah, they’re not acknowledging the Catch 22 if she takes their “help” are they? That’s convenient for their condemnation, isn’t it? Oh the city and her neighbors want her dead, they just don’t want to be blamed for it. So they’ll throw away all that stuff she’s trying to sell (what little remains) and let her starve. Not their fault, right?

Heads high, judges of humanity!

Enough is enough !
50% cut in the Fed. Gov. immediately !

Even if we cut government in half both halves would continue to grow.

They probably gave an early release to a child molester so Ruggles would have a spot in jail.

There is video of her arrest and her house and interview. She seems a little off but I would be too if I spent time in jail for a messy yard! http://www.abcnews4.com/story/16509909/mt-pleasant-woman-jailed-after-failing-to-pay-fine-for-messy-yard

I don’t even think her yard was that bad, plus she was spending all her money just to keep from foreclosure! There is vid of her house and arrest here http://www.abcnews4.com/story/16509909/mt-pleasant-woman-jailed-after-failing-to-pay-fine-for-messy-yard

Whoever Marc is, i hope one of these A-HOLES moves in next door to you. WATCH HOW FAST YOU CHANGE YOUR OPINION. That is unless YOU’RE the neighborhood (((( PIG )))))) in your neighborhood !!!!!!

I don’t think that picture is of her yard.

And the video of her house and her arrest http://www.abcnews4.com/story/16509909/mt-pleasant-woman-jailed-after-failing-to-pay-fine-for-messy-yard

So what does big government have to do with messy yards? It’s a local city thing and boy, I’d be grateful to them if I had a neighbor like that…I mean look at it, no steady work so I’m sure she has the time to deal with it, maybe she should sell the junk if it’s worth anything.

Have you heard about the woman going to federal prison over a lemon tree? How about the father who’s facing a quarter million dollar fine for breeding too many bunny rabbits?

When you join a neighborhood that has a housing code, you have to follow it. When you sign that contract, it might as well be law. That means keeping the fence white, the lawn trimmed and the garbage inside the house and not all over the front lawn.

I’m not saying I approve, but the entire thing is based off of keeping up housing prices. No one’s gonna buy a house on a block where someone trashes their front lawn. I sure wouldn’t. I’d see that and keep going past the showing.

They hit her with a fine, she ignored it [due to being unable to pay] like she probably did all her other bills, this one just happened to have county law behind it. Its notoriously difficult for a credit card company to send you to jail because you’re not paying your bills. The same can’t be said for the county.

Sucks. Should’ve bought in an area that didn’t care. We’ve got 20+ states in the center of the country who don’t care if you have a collection of old vehicles or junk.

[...] But I had to share this story from the Charlotte CBS station’s website: [...]

Welcome to america.

We openly allow illegal immigrants into this country and do nothing with them once they are reported.

All the city had to do was haul the junk away and bill her for it. If she refused to pay the bill they could of placed a lien on the property.

That would of resolved it. Nobodys hard luck story gives credit to this type of housekeeping.

Im sure alot of people living in1 bedroom apartments would kill to have a house this size and wouldn’t trash it. If she can’t afford the place it’s time to move on; not start a junkyard.

Thinking something must be true is not the same as a fact. You know nothing about what people would or would not do. Just tell me this woman, who has lost her job and is desperately trying to retain her home, deserves your contempt, Mr. Woods. I’ll believe you feel that way without your rationalizations. Say it without saying something that is not in the story. Because this story is what made you hate her, so the reason must be here.

or even more than half. our fearless leaders can steal trillions, murder millions, and provoke a global nuclear war but don’t even get a slap on the wrist. these petty officials are WAY out of their league and their power needs to be stripped from them.

Wow, little biased towards coastal states, are ya? Got news for ya – people in the center of the country like nice neighborhoods just the same as those on the coast do.

I clicked on this article to see how messy the yard was and see a FILE PHOTO of “possessions on front yard”. What a gyp, CBS!

It wasnt a government problem. It was a “neighbor” problem. Probably church going evangelical types.

To bad the global banking cartel bought their way into ALL levels of power EVERYWHERE. specifically here in the ussa, it was defacto in 1913. In reality these same wealthy mafia types funded the very creation & maintaining of this “nw0 economic area” formally known as the USofA. One can go down the rabbit hole just by simply researching anyone of the following; rothchilds banking dynasty, the ring of power, the bilderberg group, the committee of 300, scalar super weaponry, the creature from Jekyl Island (Fed. Reserve), operation “paperclip”,operation “northwoods” operation “popeye”, operation “artichoke”, “owning the weather by 2020″,the georgia guide stones, the leauge of nations, J.P. Morgan, Rockefeller, The tribe of Dan, masonic symbology, pre FLOOD history…

It’s hard enough to sell a house in this market without the perception of crazy, messy neighbors lowering your chances even more. I’ll bet none of you saying “mind your own business” own homes.

If you have such delicate sensibilities you need to live somewhere with covenants or a HOA. Freedom isn’t tidy!!!

I don’t like seeing people wearing ‘sweats’, it’s MY problem not theirs…

[...] (Third col­umn, 6th story, link) [...]

Apparently you stopped reading once you were satisfied with your anger level.

you said “hole”

judge Byno in texas was having women jailed for bs like this so the jailers could rape them………………

This is not an example of “government gone wild.”

It is the proper function of government to protect life and property. In addition to ignoring the summons and offers of help, judging by the pictures, it appears this lady has created a health hazard and a public nuisance.

Look at places like Detroit in which the right to life and property is not protected.

How about a real picture of the “mess”?

She didn’t pay a $480 fine, so it’s going to cost the Government $5,000 to lock her up for 10 days.Is that stupid on the Governments part or what? What a waste of taxpayer money!

only communist states toss ya in prison for owing money…oh..i guess that SC isnt the USA then

I agree with cutting the Fed, but this is the city government.

Very sick place full of very sick people. Like their University. People are thinking twice about sending there kids there.

Someone has issues to deal with.

so this is the fault of politicians because she is being lazy and refuses to clean up her lawn? What a bunch of idiots trying to blame the politicians for the actions of the homeowner

Agree or not, but she simply did not follow the law. She was told to clean up the yard. She did not. She was offered help to clean it. She declined it. She was then fined. She did not pay. Now she serves time in jail. Sounds fair to me. This was never about money. It’s about wanting the lady to clean up her yard. When money was used as a motivator to get her to comply, jail is the next option.

http://www.abcnews4.com/story/16509909/mt-pleasant-woman-jailed-after-failing-to-pay-fine-for-messy-yard

THis had video
http://www.abcnews4.com/story/16509909/mt-pleasant-woman-jailed-after-failing-to-pay-fine-for-messy-yard

while i’d like to believe that you should be able to do what you want in your own yard…there’s a catch. her neighbors property value is lowered because of her hoarding. yes, i said hoarding. the house in the picture is a typical hoarders mess. maybe someone should nominate her for the show Hoarders:Buried Alive….

i completely agree…..as i said in my comment, these hoarders typically don’t want it cleaned up, so they refuse help. afraid their “junk” will be thrown away.

.

Anti-hoarding TV programs show extreme hoarding to condition the public mind
to accept more anti-hoarding laws… except the anti-hoarding laws that will be passed
will also affect normal people.

.

Yeah, I’d seriously not mind Sanford & Son living next door. I’m in a rural area. We’re tolerant. We’ve got all races, all creeds, all degrees of neatness or mess and our way of living is LIVE AND LET-LIVE and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. OK so we don’t love the schizophrenic druggie next door (this is not fiction) but we tolerate. He doesn’t bother us, we don’t bother him. We look out for each other out here.

We’ve got donkeys. We’ve got chickens. We’ve got melodramatic geese. Horses, often I see more horse traffic than car traffic on the street. Kids on minibikes. Tractors. And my “winter uniform” is often sweatpants, fleece, and rubber boots.

I used to live in the city/suburbia. All I can think now is: Put too many rats in a box….

Looks like the 780 Billion $ +, that is the obama stimulous package, our money, is working.
Now if I could only find my new car & get my free gas. Thanks for my free healthcare, lights, phone, my free food, my new kitchen. That’s right class, it’s called: section 8 housing. Oh happy day!
Does snakes and rats in those type yards come as a package deal? or cost extra? I’m on a tight buget.
People should keep their yards clean of all trash. Remember Trash Trashes everyone, but since some like trash, or were not raised to know to keep there yards clean, those who are physically able to keep the yard clean, should be find If they want to live like pigs.
Respect your nieghbors even if your haven’t self respect.
My property value just dropped, I wonder how that happened?
The nieghbors must love their garbage nieghbor….right?

2012 vote out the bums.

Usually, almost always, I would take the side of the property owner, but as a southerner, piles of trash like that attract snakes. It is not fun to wake up to a copperhead on your front lawn because your neighbor has built a habitat. People need to be considerate of their neighbors – it’s just part of living in a community.

Valid point.

AAAAHhhhhhh yes more lazy reporting caption below photo reads File photo of possessions on front yard. and you wonder whuy people dont trust the media? How about getting an actual pic of the property so we could actually see how bad the prop was ?

Really would you want to live next to a junkyard? Unkept property not only brings down your home value BUT can be a health hazzard too. Rtas & other vermon infest such property 9just watch Horders)

The punishment should fit the crime.

Republicrat: you must be a product of the American education system. Your math skills are a perfect example of why we need to disband the teachers union.

It’s her property, she has every right to do whatever she wants on it, as long as it does not harm anyone else. You may be offended by someone not living up to your living standards, or someone’s odd tastes, but you just need to mind your own damn business. It’s jerks who don’t mind their own business is why people need to get permission to do anything of certain monetary value to their house. It has to be approved to blend in with the surroundings, and not offend anyone.

Putting her in jail will help… how??? It won’t! Now the tax payers will not only have to pay to clean up the trash, but also pay for her stay in jail. In the end, nothing is solved.

Here they jail a woman for a messy yard while real criminals go free every day all over this nations such as MF Global heads and those who support their actions, airport molesters, et al.
It’s like we’re living in Escher’s Relativity..

The ‘real’ photo (see above comments) shows unused shingles stacked on her roof, and the fact that the neighbors didn’t like seeing the shingles on her roof.

Why, and how, did those unused shingles get there? Obviously, someone was going to re-roof her house without doing a tear-off of the existing shingles. She lost her income, and was unable to pay to have the roofing job completed, so the contractor just left the shingles on her roof. Those packaged shingles weigh almost 100 lbs each; and to get them down would take stout men and a ladder-lift. And since she obviously needed a roof, anyone else trampling about up there would further damage an already bad roof.

The contractor should be held liable for removing those shingles that he took up there in the first place.

Wow amazing how many of you didn’t bother to actually investigate this story beyond the headline. It wasn’t just the yard, it was shingles falling off the roof, not just on the roof. The yard was messy too, the pictures they are showing (not the one on this website) are after the clean up. Here is the thing about property rights, every one has theirs but when they infringe on other individual property rights, it becomes an issue. If the state of her home was reducing the value of the neighboring homes then she was infringing on their rights.
She was offered all kinds of help including home repair, referrals to agencies that could assist her with money problems, she was offered help cleaning. She refused. She was warned that she would get arrested if she didn’t pay the fine or clean and they continued to offer help and she refused. She had choices here and she chose to spend the time in jail.

Yet Obama walks free. Imagine that.

Actual photos can be seen at http://www.live5news.com/slideshow?widgetid=43681

If she was offered help by contractors willing to complete the repair of her roof, then yes, she should’ve taken advantage of their offer. And, to have 100-lb bundles of shingles falling off her roof constitutes a danger to anyone below them.

This woman is suffering from debilitating depression that’s clouded her thinking processes. Who knows? maybe just 10 days in jail amongst the vagabonds and drunkards will be just the thing she needs to clarify her thinking. And that’s not being mean; life is tough, get a helmet. And if you think this is bad, just wait. You’ve not seen anything yet. When this mad spiral of economic meltdown finally reaches a crescendo, the death and destruction seen in this nation will be far worse than that of our first Civil War.

Too many people are missing that she didn’t go to jail for the messy yard, but for not paying the fine. In my town, they actually send people to jail for not paying library fines (even $2 will get you jail time) or even a $5 parking fine! You might want to check out what is happening in your own town before you decide to be surprised that they sent her to jail for not paying her fine.

different house. Even I can tell the difference between a 2 story clapboard and a one story brick home. The brick home shows only some junk in the drivway and lack of lawn care. Big deal. Unless there is an anal condo association involved this stuff is pretty normal for someone who lost their job. 20 minutes and its fixed. The pict in this article shows a front yard that looks like sanford and sons junkyard. If she is a hoarder the inside and backyard look the same. And stress triggers hoarding just like “i need a smoke” after a stressful encounter. Some think it is a fire hazzard as well as unsightly although some homes filled with 60 years of old water glued together mccalls, look, life, people, 17, sears, and other waxy magazines won’t burn. It’s Kind of like burning a rock. They just smolder for a few years.. Looks like the woman needs help. A few months in the psych ward and lots of lithium may help. (in my probate and conservatorship practice I deal with this all the time. Often the city takes the property into receivership and simply cleans it up then taxes the occupant out by charging the clean-up cost then pays for the care and feeding of the person afterwards because they go on welfare and state aid) There are organizations that help but the Hoarding OCD is tougher than smoking or drinking or even gambling to break.

If you can’t pay fines you do a short sentence in jail, where you are housed and fed. You are not publicly flogged. If there was no sanction for not paying fines, why would anybody pay them? It has always been this way – why is everybody getting their panties in a wad about this?t

[...] Brother Attack: A South Carolina woman has been thrown in jail for having a messy yard. Actually she was thrown in jail for failing to pay a $480 fine for having a messy [...]

[...] Nutty News South Carolina – A Mount Pleasant woman is serving 10 days in jail after failing to pay a $480 fine for having a messy yard. The Post and Courier of Charleston reports 53-year-old Linda Ruggles has sold blood and even volunteered for medical experiments to get money to keep her home from foreclosure. The town says it tried to work with her and the police chief offered to round up some young people to help her clean up.  Full Article [...]

She was jailed for NOT PAYI NG FINES.

When your broke and on the edge of loosing everything, who cares…… For her jail is 3 squares a day.

A quick search will make the true photo of her home available. NOT NEARLY as bad as the one in this article. Still, why wouldn’t she accept the help that was offered? Hoarder? Maybe this is the only way she’ll be convinced to make changes.

What a wonderful town you live in Eliot.

People such as yourself have no worries as your indoctrination is complete.

Congratulations you’ve made it, you shall now be referred to as serf.

“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”
~ Samuel Adams

She wasn’t jailed for failing to clean her yard – which she should have done out of simple consideration of her neighbors…this is a society people – she was jailed for failing to pay fines, and failing to show up in court. Judges tend to take a dim view of people blowing off court summons.

Freakout much? As for helping the situation, we don’t know. Maybe after ten days of meditation on the issue, you know, weighing the pro’s and con’s, reconsidering her responsibility to her neighbors, etc, she’ll decide to take the Police Chief up on his very gracious offer of help. It’s not like they didn’t try to work with her; she refused to work with them.

Umm…you might want to study up on the subject just a little more.

Sounds like the city did everything it could to help her resolve the situation. This is one of those instances where I believe her punishment is justified. Judging by the picture, it looks like she may be suffering from some kind of mental disorder and needs help.

Politicians are hypocrites and liars and greedy.

GOOGLE EXCLUDED INCOME

Make YOUR government obey the law.

Obama i an idiot.
It’s off topic, but I thought I’d just toss that in here.

Obama = Idiot.

I would have locked her up for a year – or more! No sympathy from me!

Seems to me if the neighbors were so upset by her yard theey might have helped her clean up. Iknow, I know it’s so much easier to sit back and grumble.

I too am looking at a jail term for a messy yard because the town is trying to have me finded $1000.00 which I can not afford. My wife and I live off her SSI check along with food stamps and not only is my health bad but I need to take care of her so I cant get a job . After being told by the town to clean up my front yard and that it was ok to put stuff in my fenced in back yard they took pictures from my neighbors second story window of the back yard in order to bring me to court. If they put me in jail they will not only have to pay for my incarceration but also for a full time nurse for my wife while I am locked up. Thank God this is America or I would probably be shot for being messy

The city gave her an opportunity to clean it up with no fine, and it sounds like city employees even offered to help round up some volunteers. She snubbed all of them and so they fined her. This is not big government picking on a helpless citizen, this is an irresponsible landowner being held to the same standard as others.

That picture is VERY misleading, though, and Charlotte CBS should be ashamed for implying it represents the actual property at all. The picture attached to this article is of a two story vinyl sided home that has been foreclosed on and emptied out by the lender. The actual property in question is shown clearly in this link, and it is not nearly that bad. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085884/Woman-spends-10-days-jail-480-fine-having-messy-yard–spent-money-trying-save-house-foreclosure.html

I wonder how you would feel if she were your next door neighbor. Talk is cheap

[...] 13, 2012in Crime Doesn't Pay // nRelate.domain = "widk.com"; // wpa2a.script_load(); TweetShare(CBS Charlotte) - A Mount Pleasant woman is serving 10 days in jail after failing to pay a $480 fine for having a [...]

http://bizcovering.com/real-estate/linda-ruggles-poster-child-for-foreclosure-crisis-jail-for-messy-yard/

One more example of the foreclosure crisis. I will help her with her case for free.

[...] Greatest American Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals in the USAHow to smear a heroBritish Find That Detainee Was Tortured As Part Of American Interrogation . . . Obama Administration Threatens To Cut Off Intelligence To EnglandTop Geniuses Of All Time – List of 50 Brilliant MindsLTTE linked overseas groups want armed struggle to resume in Sri LankaIncrease MotivationSouth Carolina Woman Jailed For Having Messy Yard [...]

[...] A Mount Pleasant woman is serving 10 days in jail after failing to pay a $480 fine for having a messy yard. (CBS Charlotte) [...]

Is anyone else eiixrpenceng severe instability in the Windows Phone design surface since the last round of Microsoft Updates? I’ve been getting very frequent designer crashes. Most of the time it just claims it can’t load some assembly (there are several, it varies). Occasionally the whole VS IDE dies. Sometimes click-to-reload works. Generally, recompiling then clicking to reload is more successful. It’s usable, but only if you have a lot of patience. I don’t believe this is specific to my computer as it happened at home and at work, and one of these is 64 bit Win7Ult, and the other is 32-bit Win7Ult (it’s an elderly notebook), and in both cases the problems started right after updates forced a reboot.

I used to work with a woman who hated our mutual boss (who I dkieisld also). And one day she was really indignant. I talked to Bill, she said, and he said he thought I didn’t like him! He told you that? Yeah! Why would he say that? Well, you don’t like him, I said. But he doesn’t know that! I thought it was funny how upset she was to be accused or something that was true. She seemed to actually think he was doing something wrong by believing (correctly) that she didn’t like him.I don’t think people either like me or don’t. Most of my peers didn’t like me when I was a kid, but I think most of my coworkers think I’m all right. I’m sure they gripe about me behind my back, like I do about them, but that’s normal. I haven’t known many adults (maybe one or two) who have made their dislike of me obvious enough for me to notice, which is just as well.

You need to just relax. Let it come as it will. If after relaxing, you aren’t titgeng what you want from her tell her. Be honest, upfront, and make sure you’re both on the same page about your relationship boundaries.Sometimes people aren’t good together after realizing what else is out there. Not to say either of you aren’t good enough for each other, but, you both deserve to be happy right?You aren’t being controlling, and the natural feeling of being obsessive towards her will go away with time.So, again, my short answer is to tell her exactly how you feel, or, be content with how things are.Let us know what happens after you talk, if you’d like.

Long time reader, first time ostper. blah blah.To be fair, I was starting to worry about this blog in the light of the recent lack of posting. However, this is a particularly strong post for manifold reasons and I will therefore no longer need to find you and kill you.Apropos the subject matter it would appear that you played this one beautifully, having not buckled and leaked neediness at the critcal junctures (and boy, it was looking as though things were moving against you on several occassions!). Arguably more important, having tasted the fruits and drank from the cup, you have, much to your credit, not emplyed braggadocio in your retelling of events.In conclusion, may I be the first to congratulate you on this one. In addition, to those that think that maybe this whole episode was starting to become an idee fixee, you have amply demonstrated that if you really desire something then you shall eventually get it. ps Kudos to Krauser for his quick-thinking in engaging the drunk moron as a ruse de guerre..

Letting go of attachment to spsseosions is something I’ve been working on. I have now reduced my clothing by 75%. It’s wonderful to have lots of space in my closet, although I admit to saving some high heeled shoes that I will NEVER wear again for my shrine to Imelda Marcos. Paper (books, magazines, mail, etc.) is my beate noir. But even there I’m making progress.I think it’s a question of being here now. Not saving something I have no use for until I do have a use for it. If I receive a charitable appeal, unless I’m prepared to write the check now, it goes in the recycle bin. Ruthless tossing of magazines (yes, someone at the hospital, cafe9, dentist, etc. might enjoy the but it I’m not taking it there today, I’m not saving it). I would vote for throwing the unmatched socks away, because it lightens the load practically as well as psychologically.If we live in the now rather than in the past (often associated with sentimentality) or the future (often associated with fear) we can strive to be authentically ourselves.

Mini Poem: Lady Bug The SpyLady Bug can you please tell the world why,you nwated to become a World Class toddler spy?What secrets are you trying to get out of your brother by making him cry?Your skills at keeping a secret is amazing,did you learn that in the newest spy toddler school hazing?Your ability to diaper poo lieseems simple to you like you don’t even have to try.Your mom and dad have even gone as far as to bribe or beg,but they might have well as been a chicken laying a golden egg.To get you to spill the beans they even once thought of pulling your leg.Yet they realized torture wouldn’t work on youand it’s against the Toddler Spy Geneva Convention rules for children aged under 22.When people aren’t with you they’ll never truly know how your days are spent,you can make people believe one thing and about the truth never give a glimmer of a hint.In the disguise department you make all other toddler spies look like amateurs,you look divine, so fine, and so curly haired covert mature.

You are right!