this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2024
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A similar thing happened with me. I didn't get any notice when I put a Santa hat on my skeleton but I did get a notice in early February for not taking them down yet. I was very tempted to put Valentine's attire on it and contest it but I think if I hadn't gotten the citation it would've been fine.
What's the citation for? What business is it of theirs how you decorate your property?
I'd understand if if was an HOA or you had something pornographic on display, but a Valentine skeleton seems absolutely harmless.
It was a Santa skeleton on display in late January/early February that I hadn't taken down yet in case it wasn't clear. The law for my city is no holiday decorations more than 30 days past the holiday. (I live in the incorporated area of the city, it's possible if I lived in the unincorporated area the laws might be more lenient. Though I do not live in the so-called historic district.)
It's easy to get pissed off about it but the reality is they didn't cite me for a Halloween decoration in December, they accepted that it was not a Christmas decoration because of the Santa hat. (Something we did for fun, not to get around a law.) So they were already being pretty lenient. Also, it's not like the citation showed up immediately on the 31st day once we didn't take it down. And we didn't get a fine or anything.
It still made me upset, but all things considered it was pretty tame.
Next year we might make it into a Valentine's Skeleton but do it before the 30 day mark from Christmas. It's probably easier to dodge a citation than argue that my Halloween Skeleton is no longer an infringing Christmas Decoration but instead now a Valentine's Skeleton because I gave it a little Cupid's Bow or something instead of a Santa Hat. Know what I mean? It makes sense in my head. Not sure if I'm explaining it well over text. Sort of similar to those "harder to ask permission" type situations.
That kind of ordnance would annoy me enough that I'd fight it. Keeping a skeleton up year round doesn't hurt anyone, it's merely a visual annoyance to your neighbors. I would fight that law on first amendment grounds, since keeping a skeleton up year round is absolutely an exercise of free speech, therefore the law is unconstitutional.
Yeah it's petty, but I'm totally willing to fight an unjust law with petty civil disobedience.