A HOA attempted to make a neighborhood take down their Christmas lights that had been put up for a special reason.
Dozens of residents in Port Orange, Florida, around 50 miles northwest of Orlando, were given 14 days to take down their holiday decorations but they fought back.
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These Christmas lights were put up before Thanksgiving in a tradition that was started five years ago by Amber Mastantuano and her family.
Mastantuano said that she started to decorate her home elaborately and early because her daughter has a severe heart condition, according to CBS affiliate WKMG-TV.
The mother added that she wanted to give her daughter the biggest Christmas each year and other neighbors in the Waters Edge community started to join in.
The family said they put up some decorations before Halloween and then start to put up all of the others, typically finishing around Thanksgiving.
Mastantuano said: “Every year we do the Port Orange city light contest. Everybody comes by.
“My husband, the first two weekends before Christmas, dresses up like Santa, I write back to all of the kids that leave letters in the mailbox.
“We’ve never, ever had a complaint.”
Mastantuano added: “In March, our daughter received her heart transplant and we were absolutely elated because the last 13 years we always wondered if we would have another holiday or birthday.”
The dispute has since been temporarily resolved however the HOA initially sent a letter on November 5 that asked tenants to remove their lights.
The letter cited a bylaw that said signs can only be placed on homeowners’ lawns 30 days prior to a holiday.
Their HOA then gave them 14 days to take down the lights and decorations.
Mastantuano claimed that the decorations took three weeks to a month to put up.
Another resident, Geoff Menneto, claimed he also took the initial letter from the HOA badly and defied their orders.
Menneto said: “I put more lights up.”
Their HOA then suspended the enforced violations and said the temporary measure would be in place until the annual meeting.
In a statement, the HOA said: “We want to assure you that your concerns have been duly noted, and the Board is maintaining an open-minded approach in assessing the requests in the context of the broader community.
“No definitive decisions will be reached between now and the Annual Meeting, allowing ample time for a thorough review of the policy.
“Consequently, any potential violations related solely to holiday decorations will be temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the policy review.”
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