County struggles to keep lawns cut after foreclosures
Kippy Hanley/News & Messenger
Thanks to dozens of foreclosures and rainy weather, tall grass has been a problem this spring throughout Manassas, including this foreclosed house at 8515 Artillery Road in the Weems Neighborhood.
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By Lillian Kafka
Published: May 14, 2008
Cutting spending wasn’t easy in Prince William County.
Cutting the grass at thousands of foreclosed homes in Prince William County won’t be easy either.
County ordinance doesn’t allow lawns to have more than 12 inches of grass. As lawns of thousands of vacant homes grow, the county’s public works department is expected to be inundated with requests to trim grass.
Prince William County is expected to pay up to $2 million to keep yards trim this summer, said Michele Casciato, neighborhood services coordinator.
That’s the estimated cost for mowing just half of the 6,000 foreclosed homes three times this growing season, she said on Tuesday.
That money will eventually be recovered through tax liens.
“It’s going to be an expensive mowing job for the owner,” said Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-at large. “The county is also going to charge the overhead expenses necessary to administer the program. The holders of this property would be much better off maintaining it themselves.”
The prices to mow each lawn could lower as the county seeks broader contracts to fill the need for grass cutting services, Casciato said.
“We are typically mowing when it gets to 18 inches,” she said. “By the time they get there it needs a commercial lawn mower.”
“We’re looking at a whole bunch of different ways,” she said. “We’re trying to do it at the most economical way to the county.”
Normally it takes three weeks for the public works department to notify land owners before they mow lawns, Casciato said.
“We’re trying, but unfortunately we’ve got legal constraints we’re dealing with,” she told the board on Tuesday. “It really has a cumulative affect on the neighborhood and on the safety of the community. It also has an effect on property values.”
City of Manassas residents are struggling with unkempt lawns, too.
In the Weems Road neighborhood, residents cited at least 53 foreclosures with lawns approaching the 12-inch height.
“This has been a bad spring for us with all the rain,” Manassas Ordinance Officer John Findlay said. “The [wet and dry] spells have been intermittent and the [tall] grass has just been terrible and not just for the foreclosures, some of occupied houses too.”
Kipp Hanley contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( JoeDaBeast ) on May 22, 2008 at 5:49 am
phdee should be named phdeedeedee. Once homes are getting purchased, DUH, the taxes will start to flow back in, or are taxes being paid on homes that are vacant? Don’t think so, right?
And in reference to the school rankings, I do not know where YOU got your information from, I love it when I get to state facts.
http://pwcs.edu/admin/news/NR.asp?NRnum=341&NRdate=5/19/2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE N.R. #341, 5/19/2008
Date: 5/19/2008
Contact: Irene Cromer (Cromeri@pwcs.edu)
Supervisor, Community Relations
703.791.8720
Prince William High Schools in Top 5 Percent in Nation
All eight eligible Prince William County high schools are among the top 5 percent in the nation, according to the annual “Newsweek” and “Washington Post” Challenge Index published on May 18. Hylton High School in Woodbridge tops the Prince William list at number 281 in the country. Other schools included are Potomac (562), Osbourn Park (617), Brentsville District (684), Stonewall Jackson (740), Gar-Field (778), Woodbridge (825), and Forest Park (1,019). Battlefield and Freedom High Schools, which will have their first full graduating class this June, will be eligible next year.
“Newsweek” ranks the top 5 percent, or 1,300, U.S. public high schools out of a total of approximately 27,000 using the Challenge Index designed by “Washington Post” reporter Jay Mathews. The Challenge Index represents the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2007 divided by the number of graduating seniors.
“We are proud of our students, employees, and our schools. This is an indication that our students and teachers are rising to the challenge of rigorous courses, and are being well-prepared for college.” said Steven L. Walts, superintendent.
For the complete Newsweek list, see www.newsweek.com/id/3938.
ANYTHING ELSE??
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Posted by ( phdee ) on May 21, 2008 at 5:57 pm
joedabeast. Where will PWC get the funds to pump up schools, roads, businesses, etc. By raising taxes? Or do you contend ther housing slump is over?—I scanned the list of top high schools, and until it came to Hilton (700+) there was zilch for PWC. Lots for Fairtfax, Montgomery Co. Md.m and Arlington. Even Loudon was better than PWC - and DC had schools higher on the list than Hylton. Dream on in your fantasy world.
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Posted by ( JoeDaBeast ) on May 21, 2008 at 8:38 am
Chris, I tend to not agree with most things that you say (or the way you phrase them), but I do agree that the county need to stay the course, and follow through on the resolution. Give the Chief the tools he needs and it’ll prevent many issues and we can pump funds back to the schools, roads, businesses, homes, etc. Our High Schools did finish very well compared to other schools in the country. Let’s continue to give our kids a chance to excel and it starts here.
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Posted by ( zcxnissan ) on May 21, 2008 at 3:38 am
People should always read the contracts they sign, whether the foreclosure was caused by an illegal or illegal getting in over his head doesn’t matter. Although it is pretty positive that their has been a big drop in ESOL, as well as drops in public school enrollment by illegals, and drops in emergency room care abuse by illegals, as well as drops in business at businesses that cater to illegals. Many positive things have come about with the surge in local foreclosures, hopefully many more to come. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Chris Cummings
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Posted by ( phdee ) on May 16, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Jim, it would be a mistake to allege the PWC foreclosure are soley due to theresolution. However, ask yourself why PWC and Manassas lead N, Va. in the number of foreclosures. Are PWC residents/bankers/lenders more prone to “greed”? I think the resolution has played a part.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on May 16, 2008 at 3:50 pm
A lot of foreclosures going on in upscale neighborhoods also. Greedy mortgage lenders and star-crossed homeowners come in all flavors.
The County will attach a lien to the property, along with any unpaid taxes and as we all know, the government is first in line when the creditors get paid. PWC should hire top-quality lawn services to keeps the homes looking sharp and add a little management fee for the oversight to boot. The mortgage or property management company will learn real quick they need to stay on top of this or pay dearly.
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Posted by ( JoeDaBeast ) on May 16, 2008 at 12:50 pm
All you have to do is have the illegals, waiting in jail for ICE to pick them up, to mow the grass and pay their way through the system. With an many sitting around, sucking up taxpayer’s dollars, it is time for them to do their part.
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Posted by ( independentmind ) on May 16, 2008 at 7:47 am
Leans don’t get the grass cut. It just becomes an blighted property that brings the community down. And the city has been doing this before the foreclosure crisis.
And despite what your Grand Wizard says, the foreclosure situation caused by ARM and inflation is affecting everyone…not just illegals.
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Posted by ( Anny ) on May 16, 2008 at 7:36 am
There are plenty of college students home for the summer that are looking for work before heading back to school in the fall. Sign me up!
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Posted by ( phdee ) on May 15, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Ha ha!! The resolution ran many immigrants out of PWC. Foreclosures abound. Now PWC has to spend 2 million to cut grass - a job that could have been done cheaper by illegals. I wonder if the anti crowd foresaw this?
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