'He hasn't mowed it this year': Riverview man wants something done about neighbour's lawn

Kevin O'Brien's peaceful Riverview street is a little too quiet for his liking. He'd prefer to hear the sound of a lawnmower coming from the neighbours who live behind his home.

"It hasn't been mowed since October and, like I say, some of the grass is three feet high," he said.

Achain-link fence separates the two backyards, leaving O'Brien with a clear view of the tall grass.

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"Everybody has to blow their driveway or shovel their driveway and everybody has to mow their lawn," he said.

"It's all part of the deal."

The Riverviewmanis concerned about his home's resale valueand said he's been complaining to the town for a number of years about the neighbours'backyard.

Not that simple

Jennifer Greene and her husband own the home behind O'Brien's. While the front yard is mowed and orderly, she realizes the backyard needs some work.

"We're almost as stressed as he is," she said referring to O'Brien.

The town doesn't have the authority to intervene.-MeghanWalsh

"It's not like we don't want to do it."

Greene saidthere are two barriers that make it difficultto cutthe tallgrass.

During lastwinter'sice storm, large branches were cut and left behindby NB Powerand a rainy spring left the ground pooled with water.

In the 10years the family has lived in the house, the town has sent one letter askingthe yard be mowed.

Greene said the work was done right away.

Long grass isn't illegal

But according toMeghan Walsh, the communications co-ordinator with the town,"tall grass in and of itselfis not covered under the bylaw."

She said if a complaint is received, the town can send a letter to the residents, letting them know there is an issue.

"More often than not [the resident] is happy to comply once the issue has been raised," she said.

"We send on average about 15 of those letters forward."

But if the non-mowing resident refuses to cut the grass, the town will not step in.

Safety would be only issue

"The town doesn't have the authority to intervene," Walsh said.

However,Riverviewdoes havea maintenance and occupancy bylaw.

"It allows the town to intervene when a safety concern is presented on private property resulting from untidyyards and debris and other objects left outside the home," she said.

"Anything that is creating a condition for unsafe neighbourhoods."

Although Greenesaid she has not received a letter from the town, her husband plans toclean up the yard while on vacation next week.