La Quinta couple wins court case against city over trellis in their yard

A La Quinta couple says they spent three years fighting a code enforcement violation they received from the city. The violation stemmed from a trellis, a lattice structure that typically has plants or vines growing on it, that they built in their yard.

They say they previously were granted permission to have the trellis on their property, but received a code enforcement violation anyways.

"We said, 'Listen, could we build a trellis and have this beautiful jasmine growing?' And they gave us the go ahead, said no permit was necessary," Lynne Langdon says. Lynne and her husband, Harry, moved to their La Quinta home four years ago. Their wish: transform their backyard, which was previously left with sand and dead brush, as well as their home.

They say the trellis was one of the ways they succeeded in completing their goal, but were shocked when code enforcement officers began warning them for violations. According to court documents, the city issued warnings and citations over fence height and the material used to construct the trellis.

"This has been three years of harassment and nonsense over their refusal to just accept that maybe we were telling the truth," Lynne says. Her husband, Harry, adds, "I was really taken aback. [I am] 90 years old [and] began to feel like this is a secure residence, perhaps where I may spend the rest of my life. But now I feel like our civil rights have been interfered with.”

At one point, the city also red-tagged their entire house over the exterior decoration, using a "Notice of Substandard Building." The Langdons only discovered this during court proceedings and say the city never notified them of the action.

Just before Thanksgiving, though, a judge reversed the notice and the citations that were given to the Langdons. While happy about this outcome, the Langdons say they are frustrated that the city spends its tax dollars to go after residents over incorrectly issued code violations, especially since they say they know several other Valley residents with similar issues.

News Channel Three reached out to the City of La Quinta, but it declined to comment.

After speaking with Lynne, I asked her what she hoped other residents learn from her experience.

She replied, "To stand up for yourself."