You’ve got to wonder what fucking planet these asshats come from. It’s a peace sign, you idiots! I wouldn’t take that as being anti-Iraq war, she expressing her disdain for all war. How the hell can you construe that as being “divisive”? A symbol of Satan? I haven’t heard that line of claptrap since the days of Vietnam. Kudos to the lady for refusing to be intimidated.
Tell ya what, Loma Linda Homeowner’s Association, since it’s Christmas time, I’ll hang some mistletoe from the back of my belt and bend over. Pucker up!
What ever happened to “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men”. I have seen religious cards that included the Peace symbol. This is a real and true WTF situation.
I thought Christmas was suppose to be about Peace and Love. How could her wreath be Satanic?
Can’t blame the entire homeowner’s association. According to the article, when five members of the board voted that the peace wreath was no big deal, the board president – Bob Kearns – FIRED them all.
Actually, it’s just one person at the homeowner’s association pulling the stunt against her. Admittedly, the morons who think it’s a Satanic symbol are, well, morons; however, when the association president ordered the committee responsible for signage to order Jensen to remove it, they refused to follow his order. He then fired the entire committee. They said it’s just a seasonal sybmol and that’s something Jensen evidently already knew, what with her being the president of that same association in the past.
This irks me for yet another reason: this Kearns asshole is relying on one of – if not theworst arguments in all of human history – the good ol’ slippery slope.
They are making a distinction based on the nature of political speech. They will lose in court. They can ban all wreaths, but not just some based on the content of the speech.
If you choose to live in a homeowners association, you get what you deserve. When you give random assholes the power to levy arbitrary fines against you based on what sort of bushes you plant, what color you paint the trim on your house, or if you leave your garage door open for more than 15 minutes at a time, you have to expect this. Why do people choose to sign away their rights then bitch about it?
I have no more sympathy for this woman than I do for my co-workers who brag about how their homeowners association keeps out the “undesirables”, then bitch about how they got a fine for having their grass 0.01" over the limit.
I think Paul in Saudi will be surprised on this one. Depending upon her homeowners covenant, she could very easily lose in court.
that & $8 will buy ya a cup of coffee.
a private association can indeed make rules like that, and enforce them against those who’ve chosen to sign up. I suspect their only option now is to recall the association pres.
Um, what is this supposed to be? “I win this SDMB argument because I can make a specious wager on Teh Internets and no one will take up on it?” I said I think you’ll be surprised, and that’s my opinion based on years of reading about HOA misdeeds, many of which have gone to court.
I think the woman in the OP is a whiner who was perfectly happy to enter into the HOA covenant and take the alleged “benefits” but doesn’t want to play by the rules when they go against her. Even in the (IMO) highly unlikely case where she wins, how much money and time and inconvenience is it going to cost her? And where does she think the money for the legal fees on the side of the HOA are coming from? That’s right - they’ll come out of her pocket and that of her neighbors, when next year the HOA fees are raised by 500%. And I bet she’ll be bitching about that then… :rolleyes:
Those examples I threw out were not specious ones. I have an ex co-worker who was fined for having his garage door open for 15 minutes - and his dues paid for the man who sat outside his house with the stopwatch and timed it. I have a current co-worker who was fined for planting irises that were the wrong color. And another who was fined for putting a Christmas wreath on a chimney, as they were “only allowed on the front door, and not any other door or part of the structure”. Hoo boy, sounds like a place where I’d want to live. And I know that the situation in the OP is largely driven by the abuse of one person - and you know what? That’s too damn bad. I can’t count the number of people I know who live in a HOA where ultimately one entity (typically, one person - the developer) holds a 51% voting block. This is not an uncommon nor hidden thing.
This woman would very likely lose a court case if her HOA agreement is that broad, and approval of any displays or signs is ultimately up to the ego-tripping petty tyrants who gravitate to these positions.
Hard to figure why so many homeowners surrender their rights to HOAs, but the fear of nonconformity must be a strong motivator.
Personally I find it hard to have much sympathy for someone who signed up to an agreement like that then bitches about being told to take down a sign. This shouts of someone looking to create a fuss. The symbol is that of CND an anti nuclear protest group although it would appear to have expanded in meaning over time. symbol
I’m not qualified in US law but it occurs to me there may well be legal issues about problems arising through non-enforcement of conditions. Ie if conditions aren’t enforced regularly when breaches occur they become unenforceable.
There’s also the issue that if it’s fine for her to do then why not others. One wreathe may not a eyesore make but what if multiple neighbours decided to put up theirs.
From looking at the picture it would appear that the wreath is the size of one of the windows. Assuming a average sized window height that’s one big wreathe particularly since it would appear to have a cable leading to it for presumeably powering lights.
Personally I think the whole thing is rather tacky and that in creating a fuss she’s probably got what she wanted from the start.
But it seems from the article that she did follow the rules. According to the article, “The subdivision’s rules say no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee.”
And the wreath was approved by the architectural control committee. So it seems to me that this lady is, at least for now, within the rules. It does not seem that the president has the power to unilaterally order her to remove it and fine her for noncompliance. It may be that he has the power to fire the committee and appoint another one that will back him up, and then levy a fine, but from the information provided it seems like she is on pretty safe legal ground (for now.)
