A home owner’s association in The Villages is suing one of their residents for displaying lawn ornaments, including a cross. Here at the Villages, there are flags and statues. But lately, it’s the crosses in neighbor’s yards that are getting extra attention. Read the entire article……………………………….
Time To Update Your Sign ands Flag Rules (CO)
HB 1310 has been making its way through the legislative process and Passed 3rd Reading in the Senate on June 10, 2021 with no amendments. This means the bill will be, if not already, sent to the Governor for signature. How will this bill impact associations? For one, it will require current rules pertaining to […]
Neighbors Claim Religious Discrimination After HOA Fines Lehi Family (UT)
A group of neighbors in Lehi sided against their homeowners association after a family was fined for their decorations celebrating Ramadan. Ahsan Ali Khan lives in an Ivory Homes community near 900 West 2800 North. The Khans are Muslim and recently celebrated Ramadan. Read the entire article……………………………….
Boy’s sign supporting police stirs controversy (OK)
Just 8 years old, self-described prayer warrior Trey Elliott has been spreading blessings for police for years. “And he’s prayed for, we know officers all over the world. We’ve had officers fly in from different states to come meet him and pray with him,” said his mother, Brittany Elliott. Read the entire article……………………………….
Introducing HB 21-1310 – Homeowners’ Association Regulation Of Flags and Signs (CO)
On May 10, 2021, HB 21-1310 was introduced in the House and assigned to the Transportation & Local Government Committee for review. The bill’s main purpose is to broaden protections for homeowners’ “freedom of expression” in common interest communities under the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (“CCIOA”) by changing how signs and flags are currently […]
Signs of the times: Residents question homeowners association sign restrictions (TX)
A question of equality was raised in the Plum Creek neighborhood recently after some homeowners were forced to remove yard signs because they were considered political. The Plum Creek homeowners association (HOA) abides by the Texas Election Code, which requires HOAs to allow homeowners to have political signs on their property up to 90 days […]
Fundamentals of Updating Community Signage (CO)
our HOA Board has asked you to get quotes for “updating the signage” but no other instruction. Where do you go from here? What exactly do they mean by “update?” Here is some basic information that will help you look like a knowledgeable rock star. Read the entire article……………………………….
HOA says homeowner must remove sign that reads ‘Botched Raid Sept. 1, 2020? (TX)
Louis Rodriguez calls it his right to speak freely. That’s why he placed a sign in his front yard, displaying a message to passersby of a “botched raid” that he says took place at his home on Sept. 1. While Rodriguez says the sign allows neighbors to know what happened, his HOA has given him […]
Fundamentals of Updating Community Signage (CO)
Your HOA Board has asked you to get quotes for “updating the signage” but no other instruction. Where do you go from here? What exactly do they mean by “update?” Here is some basic information that will help you look like a knowledgeable rock star. Read the article……………………………………
CDD 1 (The Villages) wants to hear from residents about possible ban on signs (FL)
CDD 1 has a rule prohibiting signage, but decided in 2013 to stop enforcing the rule. Among the concerns at the time was an opinion from legal counsel that declared, “The constitutionality of the regulation is questionable.” Read the article…………………………………
Durham man asked to remove Black Lives Matter window sign, sidewalk chalk (NC)
A Durham man says his family is being unfairly targeted because of his sign supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. However, his HOA says he’s simply being cited for breaking rules. Read the article…………………………………
Westfield resident wants to share human rights stance on flag (IN)
Westfield resident Lily Shogren wanted to have a sign to display her support of social justice issues at her Oak Manor neighborhood home. The garden flag contains messages such as Black Lives Matter, Women’s Rights are Human Rights, Love is Love and Kindness is Everything. Read the article……………………………….
Highlands Ranch parents told to take down senior class yard signs (CO)
A number of parents in Highlands Ranch have been told to take down yard signs honoring their high school seniors. Those signs, which read “Highlands Ranch Senior Class of 2021,” were passed out by the school in the fall, as students were in remote learning. Read the article………………………………..
The standoff: Bills Mafia Girl, a Texas HOA and a yard with signs
Alyssa O’Reilly is a diehard Bills fans from a small town in Texas. Her homeowners association isn’t quite sure what to make of all those signs in her yard. She picks up the story from there: Read the article…………………………….
Trump Plaza in Florida: Condo board votes to dump Trump name after Capitol siege (FL)
The Trump name has been dumped from a signature West Palm Beach condominium in the wake of the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol. Last week, the board of the Trump Plaza condominium voted unanimously to change the legal name of the twin-tower complex. As a result, former President Donald Trump no longer will […]
Alligator Signs Questioned (FL)
Q: Are “beware of alligator” signs legally required in Florida? Read the Q&A…………………………………
Local family may have to remove memorial cross due to complaints to HOA (TX)
A local family is facing the reality of having to remove a memorial cross for their brother after the neighborhood’s HOA says it can not be there. Bryan resident Brandalynn Butler says her 29-year-old brother Jordon Braswell died after a motorcycle accident last year on Thornberry Road. In a wake of grief, the family put […]
Woman fights to keep BLM sign in her window (CO)
Helen Rigmaiden had hoped the sign she put in her window would lead to a conversation, but she received a complaint instead. “I received a notice on Christmas Eve that I had to take my Black Lives Matter sign out of my bedroom window, and it’s been there for a couple of years,” Rigmaiden said. […]
Community association to homeowner’s Christmas display: Bah, humbug (SC)
You’d think Ebenezer Scrooge or The Grinch wanted to take down Samantha Mangum’s Christmas display. Every Christmas, Mangum spends hours meticulously designing the family’s holiday decorations that dominate her front yard in the Persimmon Hill subdivision. The display has enough lights, Christmas trees and inflatable snowmen to make Santa Claus smile. Read the article…………………………………….
North Little Rock yards quietly fill with Black Santas Show of support cheers father (AR)
A 7-foot-tall inflatable Black Santa Claus stands outside the Kennedy home in North Little Rock’s Lakewood neighborhood, waving to those who pass by. Chris Kennedy said an inflatable Black Santa has been a Christmas tradition for the family since his daughter Emily was born four years ago. Read the article………………………………..
Burlington neighborhood all aglow in holiday spirit (WA)
Think the Griswolds of the movie “Christmas Vacation” fame, but on a neighborhood-wide scale. That’s the festive spirit on display at the Homestead Place Holiday Wonderland, where home after home is aglow with twinkling and blinking lights. Read the article………………………………
Popular ‘Katie Land’ Christmas display stokes Plain Township neighborhood feud (OH)
In the seemingly quiet Wicker Creek subdivision brews a longstanding neighborhood feud that has ensnared a beloved Christmas light display. Both sides are dismayed. Both feel afflicted by past grievances and want the other side to let it go. Read the article…………………………….
Cape St. Claire resident pulls the plug on phallus Navidad lights after complaints to HOA (MD)
The Annapolis “penis house” became a beacon for laughs in hard times, but it appears the joke is over. The Ramblewood Drive home with a 35-foot phallic holiday light display on the roof would have made a great landing strip for Santa, but after complaints to the neighborhood homeowners association, the display is no longer […]
HOA Regulations vs Holiday Spirit – The Decorations Edition
The holidays are a time of bright light displays, inflatable Santas, addictively repetitive melodies, and family visitors. The holiday season can mean something else entirely though for many HOA board members and Homeowners, it can mean a fight! Holiday decorations are oftentimes in violation of the communities Guidelines and Governing Documents but how well are […]
HOA tells Raleigh homeowner to remove cross from Christmas display (NC)
A reason for the season or an HOA violation? One north Raleigh family would’ve never thought a cross being used as a Christmas decoration as a point of contention for their neighborhood. Read the article………………………………..
HOA Holiday Decorations: What Rules To Enforce? (NC)
The holidays are just around the corner, which means residents are getting ready to decorate homes once again. For homeowners associations, though, it’s necessary to have rules in place about which HOA holiday decorations are allowed. Read the article……………………………….
Couple keeps Christmas display after condo company fight (ON)
Residents at a condo complex in Lagoon City will be able to keep their Christmas decorations up after all. Diane Beaumont and Ken Marshall had been locked into a dispute with the condo management company over their display of inflatable characters. On Saturday, Marshall said they’d come to an agreement to move them 100 m […]
HOA tells the “Tucson Clark Griswold” to take down his light display (AZ)
If you look out your window, you’re bound to see holiday lights. One home on the Northside is no exception, taking his light display to the extreme. While it beings a lot of joy to Tucsonans, the HOA in his neighborhood is asking for it to come down by Sunday Dec. 6. Read the article………………………………..
Hundreds sign petition to keep Christmas display after HOA requests its early removal (AZ)
For the past five years Frank Morales has gone all out to decorate his southern Arizona home. Located near River Road and Devotion Drive, he decks out his home in thousands of lights and displays. This year, he put out 200,000 LED lights. However, the display’s days are numbered.
‘It’s about the kids’: HOA tells SC man to take down some Christmas decorations
A South Carolina man said his Home Owner’s Association is being a real “Grinch” — it sent him a letter telling him to take down parts of his holiday display or face legal action. Mike O’Hea is really into Christmas, according to WCIV. His Dorchester County home is filled with lights, animals and even a […]
Holiday Lighting Rules In Your HOA: What’s Fair?
Christmas lights have always been and always will be part of homeowners association holiday decorations. However, it’s still important to establish holiday lighting rules to maintain the aesthetics of your community. Here’s how to determine which rules are fair and which aren’t. Read the article……………………………….
Arkansas Man Said He Received Racist Note Demanding He Take Down Inflatable Black Santa
Kennedy shared a copy of the letter, which he said he received in the mail, with the station. It’s unclear who sent it, though the envelope contained a reference to the local homeowners’ association, which has said it was not behind the letter, KLRT reported. Read the article…………………….
Moore Resident Says He Was Threatened By Neighborhood HOA Over His Christmas Decoration (OK)
A Moore resident’s attempt to bring joy to his neighborhood turned into him living in fear following a threat from from the homeowner’s association. Doug Longway said the decoration he made was put near the entrance of his neighborhood near Southwest 34th and South Santa Fe Avenue so residents could see in when they came […]
Black Lives Matter Sign Dispute Prompts Complaint Against Summerwood Condominiums (MA)
Residents of the Summerwood Condominiums in Mashpee have filed a civil complaint against the condominium’s board of trustees, alleging unlawful discrimination based on race related to $440 in fines issued for display of a Black Lives Matter sign.Read the article…………………………………
Ben Crump to Announce Suit Against Local Jacksonville HOA for Harassment Over Back Lives Matter flag (FL)
Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump; co-counsels Matthew Dietz and David Cronin; Keenya Robertson, National Fair Housing Alliance Chairperson; and Antoine Mickle will hold a virtual news conference on Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. ET to announce a federal lawsuit against River Point Community Association, River City Management Services, Shantell Hughes […]
HOA & Condo Holiday and Seasonal Decorations: How to Regulate Without Being a Scrooge!
It is that time of year again. The time when families (especially this year) need a little festive spirit in their lives. As such, many homeowners begin to decorate their homes for the holidays. These decorations can range from a wreath on the door to a Griswold style light show with a ten foot tall […]
Virginia Neighborhood May Have to Remove ‘Hate Has No Home Here’ Signs
Some residents of a Gainesville, Virginia, subdivision displaying signs that read “Hate Has No Home Here” are worried they might have to remove the signs. Late last summer, a Hispanic family was the target of a profane rant in which a woman told them to “go back to your country.” Read the article…………………………………..
Real Estate Q&A: Can HOA fine me for removing ‘Wear Your Mask’ signs? (FL)
Q: My condo association is fining me for flier removal and vandalism. They are accusing me of removing “Wear Your Mask” signs from our building’s main doors. I looked through our condo rules and documents and found nothing about flier removal. The condo president wants to make up some rules under his “emergency powers.” Can […]
HOA in Tierrasanta is requiring residents to remove holiday decorations (CA)
Residents in Tierrasanta are sounding off as the home owner’s association for the first time is requiring them to take down all holiday decorations in “common areas” Read the article…………………………….
Glendale HOA orders removal of Black Lives Matter sign (IL)
Melanie Boyle hung a hand-painted Black Lives Matter sign on her home in July to show her support for the movement and its demands for justice. “I wanted to do this little act of putting up a sign and open more conversation about it in my area,” she said. Conversations with her neighbors went well, […]
Yes, HOA’s in Georgia can regulate political signs
With only days until Election Day, the pressure is on for candidates and their supporters to sway voters. Shows of support often come in the form of campaign signs in yards of neighborhoods. But can homeowners’ associations in Georgia regulate or restrict signs, including political ones? Read the article……………………………….
Titans pay fans’ HOA fees so that he can keep his ‘Tennessee Tough’ sign in his yard TN)
A Tennessee Titans fan in Murfreesboro was told to remove his Titans yard sign or he’d be fined by his homeowner’s association. So what did the Titans do? They brought him a bigger sign of course. Read the article…………………………….
Woman told to take down Halloween decorations of pole-dancing skeletons (TX)
woman is going head to head with her homeowner’s association after complaints were filed over her “inappropriate” Halloween decorations that show skeletons dancing on poles. Read the article……………………………………
Architectural Guidelines And Political Signs: It’s All In The Governing Documents For Community Associations (NC)
Architectural rules and guidelines can be a tricky topic to navigate for board members and committees charged with leading community associations. In order to properly govern their communities, those serving on boards or architectural review committees (ARCs) must have a thorough understanding of their associations’ governing documents, the enforceability of rules pertaining to architectural requests, […]
Injunction allows Black Lives Matter sign to stay in Belchertown condo complex (MA)
A Hampshire Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction Friday allowing a Belchertown condominium owner to display a Black Lives Matter sign near her unit after she was ordered to remove the sign by condominium trustees. Read the article…………………………………
Political signs a violation in some developments (PA)
During this contentious presidential campaign, there seems to be a political sign everywhere you look. But there’s at least one planned community in Carbon County where displaying a sign can lead to fines. And not all the residents agree with that. Read the article…………………………………
Condo Board Objects to Decorative Cemetery for ‘Hate’ and ‘Racism’ (VA)
Two residents of the Fairlington Arbor condominiums were told by the condo board to dig up their spooky gravestones that seek to lay bigotry to rest. Katrina Reed and her husband Joe decked out their yard with six decorative gravestones, but they papered over the space for names of the deceased to bury hate, racism, […]
Condo World: Freedom of speech and political signs in condominiums (NH)
Let me start with a clear, unequivocal statement. Owners in community associations, be they part of a condominium association or a homeowners association, do not have freedom of speech. Every arm chair constitutionalist will disagree, but it’s true. Read the article…………………………………
Election-themed Halloween display causing neighborhood rift in the northwest Valley (AZ)
Just two weeks before Election Day, politics are on everyone’s mind and can be a divisive topic among neighbors. But an election-themed Halloween display in the northwest Valley is causing a downright rift. Some think it’s funny and harmless, while others say it’s offensive. Read the article…………………………………..
Election notice: How communities can regulate displays of political signs
Political signs often receive a lot of attention in local news and on social media, particularly during election seasons. At a time when political views can become quite charged, the issue of lawn signs endorsing a candidate or supporting a social cause can further divide communities. Reasonable restrictions and uniform rules enforcement help avoid conflict. […]