Children Face Fines for Mowing Grass Without a Business License in Alabama City


Local government ordinances are fining teenagers in Gardendale, Alabama for trying to earn their own spending money. Even teenagers are being bogged down by bureaucracy. Gardendale city ordinances mandate teenagers must get a business license in order to cut grass as a summer job.

Teenagers have been threatened by officials and other lawn services to show their city issued license before cutting a person’s lawn for extra summer cash.

Cutting grass is often one of the first jobs many have in the summer. But a business license in Gardendale costs $110. And for a job, just for a couple of months, that can be a bit extreme.

Elton Campbell, a resident of Gardendale shares how his granddaughter has gotten in trouble with the authorities for mowing the neighbor’s lawn.

Elton Campbell, a resident of Gardendale shares how his granddaughter has gotten in trouble with the authorities for mowing the neighbor’s lawn.

“She charges one lady $20, and another lady $30, and another girl $40 besides what we pay her,” said Campbell. For her, this was the perfect summer gig!

“Just helping out and raising money for admissions and trips,” said Alainna Parris.

But now, it’s becoming a hassle.

“One of the men that cuts several yards made a remark to one of our neighbors, ‘that if he saw her cutting grass again that he was going to call Gardendale because she didn’t have a business license,” said Campbell.

Gardendale Mayor says he doesn’t want to discourage kids from working but laws need to followed.

Mayor Stan Hogeland said when operating a business for pay within the city limits, you must have a business license.

Mayor Hogeland says that it’s just unfortunate that issues as small as a teen cutting grass trigger these types of complaints. He said he doesn’t want this to discourage kids from trying to earn money.

As Elton Campbell’s granddaughter puts it,

“He’s coming after a kid when a kid is at least trying to do work. There’s kids at home on iPads and electronics and not wanting to go outside,” said Parris.

Mayor Hogeland makes one wonder if pre-enrollment in the DNC sponsored “Resistance Camps” for youth hasn’t been quite as high as anticipated. Backhanded deals are completely fine among a certain political party. But, kids having a summer job and learning the value of the dollar, never.

Source: ABC News 

 



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