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Plano Homeowners Hit with Yard Violations

Hundreds of Plano residents have been put on notice: trim your trees or face a fine.

The city began inspecting the Park Forest neighborhood after it says some residents complained about a lack of property management.

Since then, 450 violation notices have been issued.

David Hauck received two notices. One says tree limbs in his backyard are hanging too low into the alley. The other told him to remove soil build-up on his sidewalk. He was given until Saturday to comply.

"It was a hassle because I had a date that night that I had to cancel to get it done," Hauck said.

Out of the 450 cases, the city says 300 are for trees and the rest are related to other issues, including erosion and high grass.

City rules state there must be at least a 14-foot clearance above streets and alleys.

Jeff Koonce was told he had to trim his trees back, too.

"We noticed that a lot of people also got the notices and we weren't sure if it was a scam or not to be honest with you," Koonce said.

Residents who don't comply could face a $200 fine. They also have to cover the cost if the city has to bring in a contractor to get the job done.

The violations are leading to large piles of tree limbs along streets and alleys.

"Residents are asked to put their debris in the regular pickup places," said Steve Stoler, director of media relations, in an email. "If the location of the piles and the size is within limits, it will be picked up during weekly collections."

The maximum is 4'x4'x6', and if the piles aren't within the required dimensions residents could end up paying to have the stack hauled away.

So far, Stoler said the city has had to call in contractors twice.

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