Residents upset about tall grass at vacant home

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- In many South Bend neighborhoods, there are abandoned homes with overgrown grass. Homeowners want to know when the city's Code Enforcement is going to do something about it.



The property next to Karen Rinehart's hasn't seen a lawn mower in quite a long time.



"My husband and I were just talking yesterday, we can't understand why a yard gets that bad and why one of the neighbors doesn't take care of it," said Karen Rinehart.



Summer is a great time to get outside and enjoy your yard, but not when your next door neighbor has tall grass.



"It's embarrassing. I take pride in my neighborhood and we work hard on my yard and most of the neighbors do and then when you see something like that-- it's embarrassing," said Rinehart.



The city says it has already handed out 1,839 citations.



Code enforcement says they'll cite a property if the grass or weeds are out of hand. If the homeowner doesn't mow within 48 hours, the parks department will clean up the yard.



That will lead to a $200 bill for the homeowner.



One neighbor says he doesn't believe it's working.



"It just don't seem like it. I mean code enforcement will drive by, they'll look and then they'll just move on," said Arnold Wendricks.



Wendricks lives on Brookfield Street. He says he is out in his yard working twice a week.



"I got a weed wacker. I do that, I try to pull out weeds, I try to keep it up because I want this to become a good neighborhood," said Wendricks.



Code Enforcement wants to remind residents they are cracking down.



If you think they won't follow up on that bill, the city's collections department will make sure you pay it.