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Bavirns

3 -— Wednesday, July 5, 1989 - Capilano Chronicle

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR NEIGHBOR’S YARD GETS OUT OF CONTROL

North Van District bylaw can force
messy residents to clean up their act

OUR ‘WEST Coast climate has a welcome effect on the TS :
growth of our trees, shrubs and flowers, but the down side
is keeping up with the grass and weeds. :

Of -course, if you've just cut
your lawn and taken the weedeater
around the premises, you can feel
rather noble surveying a neighbor’s
overgrown property.

But that feeling can change to
irritation when week after week
goes by and you haven’t heard the

. sound. of the lawn mower over

there.
Eas:

L, n North. Vancouver
District there is an
Untidy Premises
Bylaw

that prohibits
residents from letting
water, rubbish, or
noxious, offensive or
unwholesome matter
accumulate on their
properties.

When their grass starts waving
in the wind like a field of oats and
their nursery of morning glory and
chickweed seems about to explode
into your yard, your can get an-
noyed.

Perhaps the worst is daily con-
templation of the neighbor’s col-
lection of old lumber or derelict
and dismembered rusty vehicles
that probably provide homes to
communities of rats, mice and in-
sects.

But there are things you can do
beyond having words with your
neighbor.

In North Vancouver District
there is an Untidy Premises Bylaw
#6019 that prohibits residents from
letting water, rubbish, or noxious,

Kids win
TWO CAPILANO youngsters
were winners of the Capilano
Chronicle’s draw that will send
them to a sports camp this sum-
mer.

Shane Conn of Sunnycrest Drive
and Melanie Smith of Prospect
Avenue will attend one of the 20th
Annual All-Star Basketball and
Volleyball Camps that will take
place throughout the Vancouver
area in July and August.

Dan Miscisco started the camps
back in 1969, after a successful
professional baseball career in the
$1. Louis Cardinal organization.

Over the past 20 years, more
than 20,000 boys and girls have

THE PHOTO caption in Jast
month’s article entitled Capilano
society discusses social concerns
incorrectly identified one of the
participants at the. Capilano
Community Services Society’ 'S an-
nual general meeting. :

offensive oz unwholesome matter
accumulate on their properties.

The law includes deposits cf

bottles. and broken glass --- any-
thing that could cause the property
to become untidy and unsightly.
” Residents are also expected to
prevent infestations of caterpillars
and other noxious or. destructive
insects and to clear their land of
brush, noxious weeds and grass
taller than 30 centimetres.

David Miles is the local bylaw |

enforcement officer who checks |

out complaints along these lines
and decides whether or not. to
order the owner or occupier of the
property to remedy the situation.

A warning notice is usually
issued, and if there is no action
this can be followed by an order to
comply.

When action is not taken within

the time given, the district can send

in a municipal crew to do the work
and send the owner the bill (which
goes on his taxes if not paid).

There is also a penalty ranging
from $500 to $2,000 attached for
people who violate the provisions
of the bylaw.

“We've never had a person not
comply with the order,’’ says
Miles.

But up to 72 hours prior to the
closing date, residents can appeal
such an order and have their cases
heard by North Vancouver District
Council.

Miles is kept busy enforcing this
and other bylaws, as is his West
Vancouver counterpart, Ernie
Neale.

“We get complaints constantly
about untidy yards, but many of
them don’t fall within our bylaw,”’
says Neale.

West Vancouver's Untidy
Premises Bylaw #2330 is very
specific about derelict motor vehi-
cles or vehicle parts, firewood
(unstacked), lumber, bricks, metal,
engines, machinery or discazded

rubbish —- but does not include -

phoro Nell Lucente

IT CAN be depressing to watch the weeds grow out of control in the yard next door, but there is a North Van-
couver District bylaw that can ferce residents to clean up their act.

overlong grass and weeds.

‘All we can do is write a letter
to the owner informing him that
the care of his yard is not up to
acceptable standards and sug-
gesting that he take more pride in
his property,’’ says Neale.

This has prempted a few hostile
phone calls from’ residents who
prefer the “‘natural’”’ look in their
yards.

Otherwise, Neale follows a
complaints procedure similar to
the one used in North Vancouver,
such that the municipality may
ultimately send in a clean-up crew
or take the owner to court where
fines (a maximum of $500) can be
imposed.

“It depends on how urgent the
situation is,’’ says Neale.

Those who phone in complaints
are often annoyed when there is no
improvement a weck later.

“They don’t realize that most
people who let their yards go are

sports camp draw

benefited from the expertise of
Miscisco’s highly qualified staff of
high school and university coaches.

The camps stress the develop-
ment of skills, but include enjoy-
ment and motivation as past of the
program. :

“We want all our participants to
go home happy every day,’’ says
Miscisco.

There are camps for Grades 5,6,
7. and a grade 8 Prep division. as
well as Junior and Senior camps.

Basketball camps are for boys
and girls, while volleyball camps
are available to girls only.

For further information about
the camps contact Dan Miscisco at

Oops! Our mistake

The woman identified as execu-
tive director Alice Hargreaves was
in fact Maryann Bird.

The Capilano Chronicle apolo-
gizes for any confusion the error
may have caused..

987-4491 or 925-3759.

1139 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver, B.C.
V7M 2H4

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not the sort to respond quickly,’’
Neale points cut. °

Occasionally, he comes up
against an obstinate ‘‘make-me’”’
attitude from the property owner,
with some calling their lawyers i into
the fray.

At a recent hearing before West
Vancouver District. Council, an
alderman was heard to joke that

the property described almost
sounded like her yard.

It was a playful reminder to
everyone that with the help of
Mother Nature, most yards can
resemble a teenager’s bedroom at
times.

It’s when Mother Nature takes
the upper hand that municipal
bylaws become necessary.

Gate & unclassic

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inner... Take Out
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