Homeowners in Newton, Massachusetts, now have more flexibility to place raised garden beds in parts of their yards where city zoning rules previously treated them more like structures. The City Council approved a zoning amendment on June 15 that removes raised beds from the ordinance’s general definition of a structure, according to Fig City News….
Property owners in Felton, California, are voting on a proposed fire-service assessment that could add hundreds of dollars a year to many home tax bills. The Felton Fire Protection District proposal would raise about $1.7 million annually to help maintain a local district with paid fire staff, according to Santa Cruz Local. A typical single-family…
A backyard home in San José has become California’s first Accessory Dwelling Unit condominium sale, giving homeowners a new real-world example of how an ADU can be sold separately from the main house. The 749-square-foot home on Josefina Street, near downtown San José, closed for $530,000 in June, according to the City of San José….
New July 1 laws in Alabama and Georgia could show up in places homeowners notice quickly: grocery receipts, HOA collection notices, rental-property paperwork, and bank fraud alerts for older residents. WTVM reported that several new laws are taking effect across both states, including Alabama’s grocery-tax return and more than 100 new Georgia laws. For a…
Tracy homeowners are being warned that illegal fireworks can turn a holiday celebration into a fine, a fire call, or a costly neighborhood dispute. The warning comes as local officials remind residents that only Safe and Sane fireworks with the California State Fire Marshal seal are legal inside the City of Tracy. Anything without that…
A Florida homeowner’s backyard pool became an unexpected wildlife scene when deputies found a 7-foot alligator floating in the water. The incident happened May 31 in the Pinecrest Lakes neighborhood of Jensen Beach, according to The Cool Down. Deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office responded after the alligator was reported as an uninvited pool…
An Oklahoma homeowner’s quick 911 call helped police stop a frightening backyard incident before it escalated, according to Ardmore police. A woman and her granddaughter were inside a home Monday morning when a man began kicking the back door, KXII reported. Police said 20-year-old Jailyn Clark entered the fenced backyard of a home on the…
Philadelphia homeowners are about to see new property values that could affect their 2027 real estate tax bills. The City of Philadelphia said the Office of Property Assessment will begin mailing Notices of Valuation for Tax Year 2027 this week, while the Department of Revenue starts a broader outreach campaign to connect homeowners with tax…
A headstone once spotted in a Connecticut backyard has reopened a local mystery about where Monroe Center’s first burial ground may have been. Kevin Daly, historian for the Monroe Historical Society, recently spoke at Edith Wheeler Memorial Library about the Peppercorn Lease, a 1765 document tied to the town’s early burial ground, according to The…