a homeowner’s association has rules against such a display? Really?
Off topic, but a good reason to not buy into those master planned communities which have all these rules and regs.
19. Display of Christmas and similar holiday decorations, including exterior decorative lights, shall be permitted only from Thanksgiving Day of each year until January 15 of the following year. Display of decorations for other holidays, including, but not limited to, Independence Day and Halloween, shall be permitted for a period beginning ten (10) days prior to the date of the holiday and ending five (5) days after the date of the holiday. No lawn displays or holiday banners are permitted.
They're going after the sign based upon the last part of the rule.
“Off topic, but a good reason to not buy into those master planned communities which have all these rules and regs.”
When I was a Realtor, I encouraged my clients to avoid HOAs if at all possible.
Or if you live where there is none, to work to prevent one from being put into place. Where I live is becoming a bedroom community for Tacoma, WA, and mostly rural. The "street" is graded gravel, and "maintained" by the property owners fronting it. One dude (owns a large acreage plot) wanted to officially establish an HOA, and gathered a group to establish an official HOA.
I pointed out that if all we want/need is a road maintenance result, we can simply set up a contract among ourselves that doesn't include all the legal baggage that comes with a "county-recognized" HOA. Fortunately, I prevailed, and no HOA resulted. Unfortunately, neither did a road maintenance agreement (which I would have welcomed and contributed to). Apparently the other neighbors wanted more regulation even less than I did.
I HATE homeowners associations. They’re nothing but glorified extortion rackets.