Is mowing your lawn disturbing the peace? That was the subject line in an email from a 6 On Your Side viewer after he had a run-in with police over mowing his lawn.
A few weeks ago, Andy Hiebert had just finished up mowing his lawn. It was around 9:30 p.m. when he was greeted by Boise Police.
"The officer said I had disturbed the neighbor's peace," said Hiebert. "I was curious about that because it wasn't 10 o'clock yet."
Hiebert said it's been his routine to mow his lawn on Sunday nights for roughly 12 years. He said he suffers from health conditions related to heat.
"I get dizzy and fatigued," explained Hiebert.
He mows his lawn at night to avoid the sun but said he wants to be a good neighbor so he doesn't mow after 10. Hiebert thought that was the rule until his neighbor called the police to complain and they threatened him with a disturbing the peace citation.
"I was kind of curious as to why they were seeing me and what law I had broken. I felt I needed to know, you know, educate me on what my failings are," said Hiebert.
According to the Boise Police Department, there are no ordinances as to when you can mow your lawn in Boise. It doesn't matter if it is two in the afternoon or two in the morning, but according to the City of Boise spokesman, if your neighbor doesn't like it and they call the police you could end up with a disturbing the peace citation, no matter what time it is.
Hiebert said he has lived his life trying to be an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, so it doesn't sit well with him that mowing his lawn could land him in hot water.
"I felt that there should be a law if anything for when I can mow my lawn," said Hiebert.
