I believe the judge’s reaction is inappropriate. Whole point of Administrative hearings are to hear both sides of the issue and work toward a solution. The judge may ask if there’s others, like friends and family that could help out, and discuss the financial feasibility of hiring a lawn care service to avoid fines. It’s important to use these hearings to Discuss progress on resolving the issue and then go over various options to achieve compliance. Yes, I agree no one should have to live next to an overgrown property that may be a sanitation risk. But if they were my neighbor, I’d check in on them and happily mow their grass.