Dryer vent coming up out of the ground
If the vent is obstructed or becomes obstructed due to lack of protection, that is a problem that could cause a fire, so it is not OK.  In my area it is not common, but if you look hard enough you can probably find many areas where a certain questionable install is typical.  Doesn't matter at all if it's common or normal if it creates a problem.

If the vent clogs and you don't have a super fancy modern dryer with air flow detection, it could cause a fire, potentially costing everything you own or your life.  On the other hand it looks super easy and cheap to fix and the building hasn't burned down yet, so how do you evaluate bad?

For a temporary protection measure, thoroughly clean out the vent and then protect it so nothing can get in it.  You can't reduce to holes of lower cross sectional area than the pipe, so you could take a large bucket, turn it upside down and cut suitable sized holes low on the bucket.  Put some steel mesh over the vent to keep rodents out, place the bucket over top and put a brick or rock on it to hold it.  If you do buy a replacement cap, you need to dig around the base of the head and ensure both that it remains unobstructed and that rodents can't climb
into it.  Note that a layer of mesh must be larger than the pipe it obstructs proportional to the % area blocked by the mesh.
At a later date either vent it out at a suitable height or add more enduring protection for the head, like a tower to put it out of reach and a suitable replacement head.

You'd have to ask the guy who liked the method enough to repeat it.  Aesthetics, cost or the addition of a &quot;feature&quot; are potential reasons.  Nobody thinks of everything and product decisions are not always made by those with practical knowledge and experience.  A few seasons of landscaping and spring cleanup added dozens of things I would think about when designing a fence or a yard.  Judging from the way 80% of yards are designed, most of the people designing them for large complexes have no experience whatsoever maintaining them commercially.  Note that this could have been originally OK but complicated by landscaping/mulch being added at a later date.


A longer pipe restricts airflow more than a shorter one.  If the flexible section indoors to connect to the dryer is too long, it may also necessitate unnecessary bends which will further restrict air flow.