A woman in South Carolina was jailed for having a messy yard.
Yes, you read that correctly. Linda Ruggles, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina was sentenced to serve 10 days in prison because she could not afford to pay a $480 fine for having a messy yard.
Linda had a photography business that sank during the recession.
Linda Ruggles, 53, says she spent every penny she had so she could keep her house in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, where she has lived for 15 years. She sold her car, her jewelry and her family's silverware after her photography business went under during the recession.
But nosy neighbours objected to the mess that was beginning to pile up her in yard - stacks of shingles sitting on her roof waiting for a roofer she can't afford, scrap metal she picked up to sell at the junk yard - and reported her to the city's code enforcement officer, who cited her for a 'clean lot violation'.
Her story came to light today after she spoke out about her ordeal from inside her jail cell.
She was arrested at the grocery store where she now works part time. Linda spoke to the Post and Courier about her ordeal.
"I feel like they want to make an example out of me," Ruggles said Wednesday, tears streaking her face as she sat in a striped jail jumpsuit. "This should be an embarrassment for the town of Mount Pleasant. And it should be an embarrassment for my neighbors who called the code enforcement officer, because no one offered to help me -- no one."
She sold her blood and volunteered for medical experiments to save her home from foreclosure. (I spoke about this on Radio Freedom earlier tonight, the story that I viewed had an image of a large house with A LOT of stuff in the yard. This image was not Linda's actual house.)
Linda was released after the press started talking about this. She was released today after spending 6 days in a cage for having a messy yard.
Now that the word has spread about her situation, the community has stepped forward. At least, a few members of the community who want to ensure that Linda is not treated this way again. I personally would like to thank the Post and Courier for spreading the word about this.
Ruggles was released from the jail early today and returned home with no clear idea what she would do about her property. Packages of shingles still sit on the roof, unopened, because she can't afford to have them installed. And her driveway is littered with scrap metal she collects to help pay her bills.
Help, however, may be on the way. After reading of her plight in The Post and Courier, a local landscaper, a contractor and others contacted the newspaper offering financial assistance or a willingness to work on Ruggles' home for free.
"I'm really overwhelmed," Ruggles said. "I'm so thankful and appreciative people want to help."
I, for one, will be watching for updates to this story. I would like to know the businesses that help Linda Ruggles. They deserve mention. Just as the Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, should be ashamed.
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