Report: Cities are ramping up tickets over minor ordinances, like grass-cutting or not having a screen door

According to a lengthy report by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the city of Pagedale doled out 2,255 citations for violating local ordinances last year. That’s almost two per household.

The Post-Dispatch also determined that this marks a 500 percent increase from just five years ago.

One couple, both in their fifties, told the paper they’ve been fined for a host of tiny infractions, including their grass height, peeling paint, failure to recycle, an “overgrown” tree, and most recently, a tree limb that blew onto their garage during a storm. While they were waiting for a tree service to dispose of it, the “housing and sanitation inspector” ticketed them.

In total, they’ve racked up $1,000 in nontraffic fines, and have had to appear in court for every violation.

Earlier this year, the city gave them 30 days to accomplish a laundry-list of repairs, including putting up curtains and a screen door. Sometimes, like with grass-cutting violations, the city only gives 24 hours.

Why all the bother? Missouri has a law, known as the “Macks Creek Law,” restricting how much revenue municipalities can take in through fines—but it only applies to traffic cases. They can ticket for tiny ordinances to their heart’s (and wallet’s) content.

According to the Post-Dispatch, 40 percent of Pagedale’s citations were non traffic cases. The percentage was even higher in other areas, including Ferguson.

One Ferguson resident recalled an inspector whipping out his ruler to measure her grass.

Pagedale Alderman Faye Millet told the paper that people are just “too damned lazy to do what they’re supposed to do,” citing the risks of having“ a splinter in your railing or a big crack in the sidewalk where a high heel could get stuck …” Sounds truly harrowing. 

The mayor, Mary Louise Carter, denies that the enthusiastic ticketing has anything to do with revenue.

Read the full report here.