MS News (Mississippi): A Ridgeland homeowner is upset after being told she had to take down some of her Christmas decorations.
A Christmas mural that hangs on Carrie Higbie’s garage was ordered to be taken down earlier this week because according to the Homeowners Association it doesn’t adhere to the covenants for the neighborhood.
Higbie was told through a notice she had 30 days to take it down.
The HOA President says her mural violated the covenants including signage and altering the structure of the home.
“The notice from the Homeowners Association said one that we changed the structure of our house, which we didn’t. I would have had to knock a wall out to do that and the other thing was the signage,” said Higbie.
We spoke to the homeowner’s association president off camera. She said the board maintains their stance because the sign hangs and covers the garage, which to them alters the outside of the home.
“It’s so judgmental and I haven’t altered the outside of my house I’ve maintained the color,” said Higbie.
Other homes in the neighborhood have Christmas signage, but not as extravagant as the Higbies.
The homeowner’s association president says they encourage creativity, but it has to adhere to their guidelines.
“A lot of subdivisions everybody decorates they make contests out of it to see who can have the most festive house and I don’t really care what you practice at this time of year if you choose to practice nothing. This country was founded on the fact that we can practice freedom of religion and freedom of speech,” Higbie explained.
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