Unpaid Fines Over Tall Grass Leads Florida City To Foreclose On Man's Home

DUNEDIN (CBSMiami/AP) — It's hard to believe that letting your grass grow too long could lead to thousands of dollars of fines.

But it's true, a Florida man says his grass grew a little too tall. But he doesn't think he should lose his house over it.

The city of Dunedin moved to foreclose on the home of 69-year-old Jim Ficken over $30,000 in unpaid code violation fines. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Ficken was fined $500 a day last summer because his grass was taller than 10 inches.

Ficken filed a lawsuit against the city seeking a nominal $1 in damages, relief from fines and an end to the city's practice of fining people without considering ability to pay.

Last summer, Ficken says he was away for lengthy periods managing the estate of his deceased mother in South Carolina. Ficken says the man paid to mow his lawn then died unexpectedly.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)