MEMPHIS, Tenn.- A Germantown resident who put together Halloween decorations in his Christmas display had no idea he would be in trouble with the city.
Alexis Luttrell placed a skeleton and a skeleton dog in her yard in October and later dressed them up for the holidays. In December, he received a notice that the decoration was against city code.
“I got something the other day that said I had to appear in court,” Luttrell said. “The code they say I'm breaking is that I've had seasonal decorations on for too long.”
Source: Alexis Luttrell
According to Rule 11-33, holiday and seasonal decorations shall not be installed or placed more than 45 days before the holiday date for which the decorations are intended and shall be removed within a reasonable time, not to exceed 30 days, following the holiday date for which the decorations are intended.
Luttrell said he bought the bones to display in the yard year-round and believes it's open to interpretation as to what qualifies as a Christmas decoration.
“If the codes have to be interpreted, the courts speak on the side of speech. “So, for this coder to say that this doesn't count as Christmas decorations or what will soon be Valentine's Day decorations, that's just an exaggeration,” Luttrell said.
A quote for breaking the Holiday decor. Source: Alexis Luttrell
Luttrell, who has a law degree, plans to fight the statement in city court. Luttrell said he posted on the Germantown Facebook group page that he was looking for an attorney and received responses from several attorneys and people who wanted to contribute to his legal fund.
“It might seem like a small thing, but it's very frustrating not being able to express myself because, frankly, I've already bought pride month decorations,” Luttrell said. “I do everything as a citizen; I vote, and I take care of my yard. I do the things I have to do. I'm not a troublemaker, and one thing I enjoy is being able to express something fun. I have lived in neighbors where we have done that.”
Luttrell said Germantown needs to spend more time dealing with clear violations of city ordinances and believes many residents feel the same way.
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The city said Luttrell was allowed to settle the situation before being summoned to court.
“Any fines will be considered as part of the trial. The citizen still has the opportunity to present the matter before his court date and will only be responsible for court costs,” said Director of Economic Community Development Cameron Ross.
Luttrell is scheduled to appear in court on February 13.
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