Tall Grass? Darien 'Very Strict' About It

DARIEN, IL – Darien officials on Monday said they enforce the local law requiring homeowners to keep their grass shorter than eight inches.

At Monday's City Council meeting, Alderman Gerry Leganski said a resident told him about weeds from a neighboring condo association coming into her yard. He said he forwarded the call to City Hall.

Dan Gombac, the city's municipal services director, said Darien enforces its property maintenance code. And he urged residents to call when they see grass higher than eight inches.

"We'll be more than happy to send our code enforcement officer," Gombac said. "This is the time of year when we find out who is really lacking maintenance skills."

City Administrator Bryon Vana said the first notice to a resident about tall grass is a warning, not a ticket.

Gombac described the city as "very strict" on the problem.

"It's basically a seven-day notification process," he said. "If on that seventh day it is not mowed, we'll send the city's contract mower operations out there, and we will back-charge the owner. In some cases, it results in a lien. But nonetheless, it is charged back and we do get a full restitution either when the house sells or the owner is back in town, whatever the case is."