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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Germantown resident who incorporated Halloween decorations into her Christmas display had no idea she would be in trouble with the city.
Alexis Luttrell put a skeleton and a skeleton dog in her yard in October and later dressed them up for the holidays. In December, she received a notice the decor was in violation of city code.
“I got something the other day that said I needed to appear in court,” said Luttrell. “The code they say I am violating is I have seasonal decorations up too long.”
Courtesy: Alexis Luttrell
According to ordinance 11-33, holiday and seasonal decorations shall not be installed or placed more than 45 days before the date of the holiday for which said decorations are intended and shall be removed within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 30 days, following the date of the holiday for which said decorations are intended.
Luttrell said she purchased the skeletons for yard displays throughout the year and believes it is open to interpretation what qualifies as a Christmas decoration.
“When it’s up for interpretation for the code, courts air on the side of expression. So, for this code enforcement person to be saying these don’t count as Christmas decorations or what will soon be Valentine’s Day decorations, that is really overreaching,” Luttrell said.
Citation for Holiday decor violation. Courtesy: Alexis Luttrell
Luttrell, who has a law degree, plans to fight the citation in city court. Luttrell said she posted on a Germantown Facebook group page she was looking for an attorney and has received replies from several attorneys and individuals who want to contribute to her legal fund.
“It may seem trivial, but it’s a very frustrating thing not to be able to express myself because, quite frankly, I have already purchased decorations for pride month,” said Luttrell. “I do everything as a resident; I vote, and I take care of my yard. I do things I’m supposed to do. I’m not a nuisance, and the one thing I enjoy is being able to express something fun. I’ve lived in neighborhoods where we’ve done that.”
Luttrell said Germantown needs to spend more time addressing clear violations of city ordinances and believes many citizens feel the same way.
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The city said Luttrell was allowed to remedy the situation before being summoned to court.
“Any fines will be considered as part of the court proceedings. The resident still has the opportunity to bring the issue into compliance before their court date and would only be responsible for court costs,” said Economic Community Development Director Cameron Ross.
Luttrell is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 13.
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