Calif. couple who removed their lawn face court date for violating landscaping law

Calif. couple goes to court for removing lawn

ORANGE, Calif. — A couple who tried to save water and money by removing their lawn will be taken to court by the city of Orange. Quan and Angelina Ha have a scheduled court date Tuesday. The couple replaced their grass with wood chips in 2008. The Has said they’d just had a baby and began to think about her future.

At a time when Southern California cities fine people for overwatering their thirsty lawns, the Has said they’ve saved hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and drastically lowered their water bill.

But the city cited them for violating a law that requires live landscaping to cover 40 percent of the yard. The couple planted drought-tolerant plants last year but the city said it wasn’t enough.

The city said it wants them to come up with a compliance plan.