Washington woman facing fines over ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign inside her home
The sign is a tension point in the neighborhood for the last two years.
“There was an outroar in the community. Specific people started complaining, wanted it down,” Pavao said.
However, the neighbors are also appearing to be in violation themselves. At one home in the community, a Trump doormat can be seen on the ground. The complaints began in the summer of 2020 when she put the sign in her front window but her HOA board took action.
“The previous board wrote up a new rule limiting what people could have on their homes, the outside of their units, what you could have in your yard, what type of signs, nothing political, so I immediately removed my sign,” Pavao said.
She later placed the sign on her living room wall and that was the end of it until last week. The homeowner received another complaint from the board.
According to the news station:
She would then get an email outlining how homes can’t have signs or flags supporting or opposing political candidates, social movements, humanitarian causes or religious beliefs. And it applies to signs outside of the homes, as well as anything displaced from inside a window facing outside that can be seen from the roadway or neighboring units.
“How did the board go from you can’t have outside signs or signs outside your building to determining that they have a legal right to determine what I have in my home?”
Pavao plans to appeal the violation saying she is disappointed it has to come to this.
“I cannot express how tired I am, intellectually, emotionally. How disappointed I am with some of the people in this park. How much it hurts me that my family does not feel comfortable here, because they are people of color too,” Pavao said.