Man without a lawn pleads not guilty

An Orange resident pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in Superior Court to charges that he and his wife failed to maintain their lawn according to city law.

Quan Ha, 36, is facing the possibility of a misdemeanor fine of up to $1,000 and the possibility of up to six months in jail because city of Orange officials say his front lawn violates city law because less than 40 percent of the yard is landscaped. Commissioner Vickie Hix set a pre-trial hearing date for March 16.



Ha and his wife, Angelina, had their front lawn removed to save water in 2008. Ha, an IT manager, said his water bill went from $180 every two months to $48 every two months and his water usage went from approximately 300,000 gallons of water a year to about 58,300 gallons a year.

"We live in a desert," Ha said. "We're doing something to beneficial by not using all the water that we don't have."