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Comment by akira2501 | Hacker News Reader

In several towns I've lived in.. I _know_ everyone in city hall. It wouldn't be a deferential call, but a friendly one, where I'd mostly ask "Hey Bill, would there ever be a problem if I...."

Bill's got my back. If there was a problem, he'd be the first one to tell me _how_ to work around it, and since I'm the kind of guy to want to make things easy for everyone I live around, he'd probably be the first one to help do it if I needed it.

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I’m talking about the subject matter. Something as petty as growing some lawn or flowers on my own land. I can’t imagine asking for permission to do that.

I'm talking about the realities of actually living in a community. Something as simple as not mowing your lawn may actually be against local codes. Your neighbors may be the type to use code enforcement against you if they don't like you. Your code enforcement officer may just be eager. There could be any of a number of simple misunderstandings along the way.

Who knows? What I do know is you will solve nothing by pretending it's petty and for sheer prideful lack of imagination can't bring yourself to pick up a phone and spend 3 minutes asking questions.

This is the same thing. Imagine calling the local government to ask if there's a problem with letting my garden grow.

Yes. I just did imagine it for you. Are you a lawyer? Do you spend time making yourself aware of the laws, bylaws and codes in effect in your area? If it makes you feel less burdened to check first, then at the very least, don't be one of the people who inevitably complains when they find out what they've done draws unwanted attention to yourself.

It's government. You pay for it. Why you wouldn't expect it to be useful to you is beyond me.

In many places, clotheslines are illegal.

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