Man, neighborhood group at odds over Jesus Christmas sign

The 38-year-old homeowner says: "I figured we couldn't put up commercial or political signs, but certainly the association could use discretion when it came to religion. ... I consider myself a man of faith. The sign shows to all of our neighbors what Christ means to us." (Washington Post)

Comments

[twerp]

HOAs suck and the people who choose to live in neighborhoods with them are suckers.

That said, if the HOA doesn't allow political or commercial signs how the hell do you expect them to respect signs endorsing religion?

[twerp]

You know what else just hit me about this story?

These neighborhoods are communistic and that's hilarious because ususally the majority of the people who live in them are against communism.

What is wrong with people?

[kestrelmas]

twerp, if I ever make the idiotic decision to live in Yuppie-Wonderland with a HOA, I give you full permission to shoot me in the head because at that point I've become a zombie. Thank you.

[Lou Sussler]

I am always just amazed that people buy into HOA communities with knowledge of rules and then just assume that the rules don't apply to them for some reason or another.

"The sign shows to all of our neighbors what Christ means to us." or "The flag shows to all our neighbors what our troops and country mean to us"

So what Bozo? Buy a nice piece of land for yourself with no deed restrictions and put up all the signs and flags you want.

I liked how he made sure to mention that since he picks up garbage by the side of the road, then the rules don't apply to him.

[Sheila]

If the neighbor with Christmas sign in HIS yard does not get the same letter, Mr. Henderson has a good case for discrimination. On another point, "Mr and Mrs. Mouse" indicates Mickey and Minnie are married. When did the nuptials take place? If Goofy performed the ceremony, I don't think it is legal. Only Donald Duck is licensed to perform marriages.

[buddy]

do, can i put up a sign that mocks your CULTmas?

[buddy]

*so

[TequilaJoe]

They have to send a letter to the guy who had the North Pole sign up too or face obvious discrimination charges and a possible law suit which would cost the association money.

No you can not post signs mocking them as that is against laws against hate and bigotry. But you can place up signs for being an athesist or whatever

[mybrainhurts]

Simple solution: get a blow-up Jesus. If one is hard to find, dress up a blow-up doll like Jesus and prop it up in the front yard. No sign, no problem.

-10 to TJ for obvious trolling (though I do love my "My Flying Spaghetti Monster can beat up your God" sign during the holidays).

[Chrysos]

Personally, I wouldn't live in a development with an HOA. I feel it's bad enough that the government has so much control over what you may and may not do with your own property. It's absurd to allow a bunch of pathetic, insecure, self-serving nobodies dictate even more regulations.

A friend of mine that does live under the thumb of an HOA told me a story of this woman who got on the board and immediately issued herself a waiver on many of the rules.

That being said...if you go in knowing the rules of the game and decide to buy anyway you don't have any right to bitch about those rules.

[RockyMtnMac]

Fine. so take it down after Christmas. Problem solved.
I don't have a problem with the message, I have a problem with the sign. It's fugly.

[RockyMtnMac]

Sheila, you are right. They don't even live together, so they are not even common-law.
(I have always thought Mickey played for the other team, anyway)

[Sheila]

His voice is VERY high-pitched.

[Boba Fett]

Like any democratic association, if you don't like the rules then go to the next HOA meeting and petition to have the rule changed. Unusally it requires something as simple as a majority of owners to approve although some are a little more strict and require 2/3 or 3/4 of the members to approve.

He may have a gripe regarding the guy with the North Pole sign. As an alternative, I wonder what they would have said if Micky was holding his sign?

[Farmer Bob and the City]

Sterilize them all.

[Johnny]

Lights are OK, so just layout the lights so that it spells out something next year, like "JESUS" or "HOAS SUCK". Hey, as long as its not a sign, right?

Rules are rules, but finding a way to tweak them is fun. Each year come up with a new way to annoy those busy-bodies.

Personally, I find "For Sale" and political signs annoying, so why they would make an example of this I am not sure.

[American Veteran]

rmm IS RIGHT.
iT IS FUGLY.
aND, DID THE hENDERSONS ASK hARRY WHAT HE THOUGHT?
goddamn caps lock key.

[Pile of Pooh]

I just wait until the HOA president is out of town, then I walk my dogs down to her house to shit all over her front lawn. I like to feed them dairy products a couple of hours before the walk.

Like clockwork, the next HOA newsletter will have a spittle-flying rant on the front page about picking up dog poop.

Don't ever fight with self-important morons; it's fruitless. Mess with their heads instead. It's easy, and it's much more fun.

With any luck, the witch will die from a dog poop-induced apoplectic seizure one day. I'll come to the funeral, of course. So will my dogs... suitably prepared for the event.

[Rock Marine]

@ Pile of Pooh...I really love a good story about the family dogs, and such a happy ending!

[many]

WWJD? (what would Jesus decorate)

[Jamie]

HOA's are out of control. They should be there to only help keep up the general appearance and safety of the neighborhood. Making sure people's lawns are manicured is their business, censorship is not and should not be. If you want to pay the money to own a house/property, you should be able to do whatever you want (within laws and reason) with said house/property.
Unfortunately, reason is a fast disappearing thing.

[Charles]

Free speech!
No homeowners association has the power to trump the Constitution. Take it to the Supreme Court, girl!

[Krash]

@ Twerp
Its COMMUNITARIAN, not Communism! Look it up.

Tiresome people, how silly you can be.
If you live in a trailer park or move to an apartment complex, the management sets the rules.
If you live in a co-op or Condo community (as I do), they have rules.
If you live in a zoned community, there are Rules.

95% of the time you are very grateful there are rules... you just don't know it because you don't have major complaints about the neighbor(s). DUH!!!!!

I share common walls and grounds with many others in my small condo community. Over the 20 years I've been here, I have been at slight odds with the board a time or two, BUT overall I am very happy that my small community is NOT like the neighborhoods I work in where SOME immigrants buy $400,000 upper income homes and run them into the ground because there is NO strong HOA to protect the property values from "Know Nothing" / Careless neighbors.

I can't even have a garage sale, let alone operate a "store-front" business from my Condo. I can't leave stuff laying about the yard and anything I plant or build MUST be approved by the board...Yes, its restrictive and a hassle, BUT!!!... My neighbors have the same rules to abide by and our common property is consistently neat, fairly well-groomed, porches and decks are clean and well-maintained and there is NO CRIME, NO Vandalism, NO overgrown or deteriorating landscapes.

I LOVE THAT! If you don't like the rules, STAY OUT of the community. I don't want to Eat in a Messy Restaurant, I DON'T want to live with Care-less / Lazy Neighbors, and I have EVERY right to expect that...You whiners better remember this when ya'll move outa Mom's basement.

[mybrainhurts]

Krash, you might be surprised how many of us "whiners" HAVE moved out of our mom's basement, and into a place where we no longer need to have a surrogate mom tell us how to plant our garden.

[Krash]

Well, the issue is the stupid sign and we DON'T have any idea of the other sign's design, but if its a Cutesy oval sign that looks like its fits a theme, then its a No-Brainer that the Jesus sign is a Hands-Down loser! It LOOKS like a political Statement to ME.

As to Planting your own garden, for 75% of the population, a tree is a shrub is a bush, and they neither care enough to learn about the plants or deal with maintaining them properly. Which is fine, I get paid to fix it when it becomes ugly. BUT, when it is my $$$$ pooled with other people's $$$$ that has to maintain structures and grounds properly, I want to see it spent well.

This means planting things in a proper location, where it will have room to mature and have the correct conditions to stay healthy. You may understand how this works, but I can assure you that MOST of your Neighbors DON'T Know, and Don't KNOW that they DON'T Know.

[kestrelmas]

Krash, my mom's been dead nearly 10 years, and she died when I was 22. Try to be a little more sensitive, although something tells me that might be a tall order. Have a happy new year, and don't drink too much, okay?

[twerp]

Jamie, there have been many court cases that have ruled with the HOAs and have stated that by choosing to live in neighborhoods with HOAs, one has also made the choice to sacrifice some freedoms to live there and by doing so, as long as one lives there, one must abide by the rules set forth by the HOA. If you want the freedom to do whatever you want with your yard, buy a house in another neighborhood without an HOA.

I can not stress this enough to the people whining about HOA rules: THINK BEFORE YOU BUY. In my area, there are people whining because their HOA neighborhoods have been zoned as a flood plain. If they had done some research before buying they would have realized that area has been proned to flooding for years and now they have to pay through the nose for flood insurance. All I can say is that it sucks to be them.

"I LOVE THAT! If you don't like the rules, STAY OUT of the community. I don't want to Eat in a Messy Restaurant, I DON'T want to live with Care-less / Lazy Neighbors, and I have EVERY right to expect that...You whiners better remember this when ya'll move outa Mom's basement."--Krash

^^Krash, I resent that remark. I live in a lovely neighborhood without an HOA--and yes, I live in my OWN home not with my parents. I can also display my tasteful garden gnome on my front porch along with an Alabama/Auburn "House-Divided" flag on my mailbox without any hassel whatsoever and I love THAT. Rarely do I (or my neighbors) ever have parties but when we do, we can park cars up and down the street without people throwing fits about it. So yeah, I don't like HOA rules so I plan on staying out of their Communisitic COMMUNITARIAN communities.

[BlueMary]

Nobody forces you to live in a situation with an HOA. I'm pretty much with Krash on the benefits of HOA although they wouldn't suit me.
What drives me mental is when people who *don't* live in an HOA governed neighborhood try to co-op the city or county in to acting like one. Usually selectively against women or the elderly.

[Ernie Gann]

Here is a great sign for people who can post them in their yard. http://www.jesuschristmassign.com/