the inspector said they got reports about his lawn - that would have been from those neighbors. the fact that his lawn bothered them so much that they reported him pretty much says they wanted him punished for not maintaining his lawn. clearly, nobody went and talked to the dude.

and now that they got him killed, they want to act like it’s such a shame that they had no way of knowing he may actually have been “deserving” of neighborly assistance due to “difficulties.” why is that never the first assumption? that someone might need help? it never is. the first assumption is always some kind of moral failing deserving of punishment.