A couple of days ago Prince of Petworth posted this picture, along with a query typical of his highly observant neighborhood blog: what do you do when you have a neighbor or an absentee landlord who doesn’t mow the lawn?

According to a story in today’s Examiner, the District is actually cracking down on these types of overgrown lawns for us. The city government issued nearly 1,400 citations last year to residents who failed to keep their lawns mowed and their properties free of weeds. The release of the figures coincide with the start of mowing season this year (did you know the city has a mowing season?), which begins tomorrow and lasts through Oct. 31. During this time, having a grass lawn or weeds more than 10 inches in height can lead you to get stuck with a $500 fine. And if you’re feeling like playing neighborhood cop, you can always call 311 to have the city come out and issue a ticket to an offending property owner.

Typically though, the city issues warnings, resident takes care of the weeds, and no fines are ever actually assessed. But the story says that 446 times last year, the city put liens on properties that failed to comply, and then went out and trimmed the lawns itself.

If you’re a renter, now would be an excellent time to review the terms of your lease. Many landlords who rent rowhouses in the District put clauses into their leases requiring tenants to take care of front and back yards, while most apartment building owners tend to mow and weed their properties for their tenants. Do you know if you’re responsible for taking care of that weed problem yourself?