“Not Debris. Not Weeds. Not Shrubbery.”

How Retaliation Wears a County Seal. ​“When they can’t argue with your words, they come after your lawn.”

By Karen Hartley-Nagle, Former President, New Castle County Council (2016–2024), now launching a small business in Wilmington, Delaware

The Setup

The same week I launched my small business and published hard truths about County government, a letter showed up. A violation notice.

They called it debris. Weeds. Shrubbery. But it wasn’t about code. It was about payback.

The Facts vs. The Fiction

What they claimed:

• Outside storage of debris.

• Weeds and grass over 8 inches.

• Shrubbery blocking a walkway.

  
  

What’s real:

• Neatly stacked metal posts. Not garbage. Not debris.

• Lawn trimmed to about 3 inches—well below the 8-inch legal limit—already scheduled for its next cut in ten days.

• An apricot tree with two summer branches, high above head level, scheduled for winter pruning. Not blocking anything. Not shrubbery.

  
  

And then the kicker: On September 11, after a 12-minute call, the County officer admitted—no violations.

But as of September 15th, at 12:37PM, the “violations” were still posted publicly online for anyone to see.

Knowingly false. Intentionally damaging.

The Fence and the Back Door

And it didn’t stop there.

During that same call, the officer told me my fence was “missing quite a few boards.” That was false. In seven years, only one board have ever come off—and I fixed it.

This summer, I had temporarily removed one small board, hidden behind a rosebush, to give baby rabbits an escape route from my greyhounds. It was humane. It was responsible. And it wasn’t visible unless you were creeping around the back side of my property—near my back door, where no violation had even been reported.

Think about that. Not the fence. The intrusion.

When government inspectors start poking through bushes and peering behind gates—looking for something that isn’t there—that’s not enforcement. That’s intimidation.

The Threats Before the Letter

And remember: this didn’t come out of nowhere.

• Two weeks before the violation, a threat was relayed.

• One week before, another: “Take her out.”

  
  

By the time the letter arrived, the pattern was clear. This wasn’t about property. It was about silencing me.

What This Really Is

This isn’t about maintenance. It’s about retaliation.

I’m a 63-year-old grandmother. Semi-retired. Starting a small business. And because I spoke up, I got hit with fake charges and threats.

That’s not code enforcement. That’s abuse of power.

The Law Is on the Side of Truth

Here’s what the law actually says:

• PM 302.11 bans trash and rubble—not neatly stacked posts.

• PM 302.4 caps grass and weeds at 8 inches—mine was 3 inches.

• PM 302.4.8.2 requires shrubs be trimmed from walkways. It does not apply to a fruit tree branch that doesn’t block egress.

  
  

In other words: the notice was baseless from the start.

Why It Matters

This is bigger than one letter. If they can do it to me—someone who knows the code, knows the system—what about a senior on a fixed income? A family juggling two jobs? A neighbor who doesn’t have the time or means to fight back?

This isn’t about weeds. Or fences. Or shrubbery. It’s about whether government serves the people

—or silences them.

Final Word

Not debris. Not weeds. Not shrubbery. Not a missing fence board.

This wasn’t about my yard. It was about my voice. And I’m not done speaking.

More: 👉 Read the full Truthline "Code or Cover" report here: [https://www.karenhartleynagle.com/copy-of-i-opened-the-doors-1]