New Law for Lawns
- Editor OGN Daily
- Dec 23, 2022
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 14, 2023
After their housing association demanded they replace their native lawn with grass, a Maryland couple sued - and changed state law.
With butterfly, bee, insect, and other wildlife populations plummeting as a result of human activity, cities and homeowners are turning to “naturescapes” to help them survive and thrive. Maryland residents Janet and Jeff Crouch are among them, and had a thriving wildlife garden in the front yard of their home.
Following numerous complaints from their neighbor, they received a letter from their housing association giving them 10 days to rip the garden out and replace it with a standard grass lawn, reports the New York Times. The letter said their yard was “not the place for such a habitat” and was not only against bylaws but an eyesore hurting property values.
Instead of ripping it out, the Crouches fought back and as their case made its way through the system, a state legislator took notice and decided to draft a bill preventing homeowners associations from banning pollinator pants or rain gardens, or from requiring property owners to plant turf grass. The bill soon earned bipartisan support and soon became law, making Maryland the first state to limit homeowner association control over eco-friendly yards.
So, thanks to Janet and Jeff Crouch, state law was changed and homeowners associations can no longer force any Maryland residents to have lawns.