Political signs

Last Edited By Krjb Donovan
Last Updated: Mar 11, 2014 07:35 PM GMT

Question

I am running for city council in a city in michigan. My home owners assoc says I have to remove my sign or risk getting fined. Isnt this against my 1st amendment rights ? Both sides feel strongly.

                              thanks gary

Answer

Generlly speaking, an association may restrict use of signs without regard to content, but if they allow signs of any content (for example "For Sale" signs") they cannot limit similar political signs. If the restriciton is not content based, for example, they allow signs of only a certain size, those are usually allowed. But if the issue is the content of the sign, the First Amendment usually protects that. This recent Supreme Court decision addresses the issue in detail:

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=000&invol=u10373

Of course, this is just for your general information. For specific legal advice, you would need to speak with an attorney in your area who is more familiar with the local rules and facts surrounding your case.

Advertisement

©2024 eLuminary LLC. All rights reserved.