Caring For Foreclosed Lawns

"City Councilwoman Barbara Payne received a citation from the city's Public Works department last week for watering the lawn of an abandoned home next door — a violation of the city's code.

Payne said she and a group of about five neighbors had been watering and cutting the lawn at 121 Silver Spruce Court for the past month to prevent the foreclosed home from becoming a neighborhood eyesore.

Galt Public Works Director Gregg Halladay said Payne's case wasn't just a matter of sprinkling a bit of water next door — which is "technically" a violation in itself, he noted.

The connection, however, created the potential for "cross contamination of the water system," the director said.

Council members at their May 20 meeting, including Mayor Andrew Meredith, told residents to take matters into their own hands to fight foreclosure-related blight, following public comments about abandoned properties popping up in Galt."