Honoring Copl. Corey Burr
Shortly after L Cpl Burr was deployed to Afghanistan last winter, his parents posted the above sign in their front yard of their home in The Gardens subdivision of South Bossier, LA. Almost immediately the neighborhood association delivered a letter telling the Burr’s that they were in violation of a local rule stating “no signs of any kind shall be displayed to the public view.” (Real Estate signs are excluded but also carry a 2×2 size restriction.) Instead of removing the banner, Timothy and Jodi requested an exception be made to the rule. They wanted to keep the sign on display until their son comes home. (Corey is slated to return in March of 2012)
In February, the Burr’s started sending formal requests to the head of the association, but those letters went unanswered until the media got involved. Jodi and her husband even sent requests for a meeting with the homeowners association via certified mail, but those letters went “unclaimed.”
In an interview with The Blaze, Jodi Burr wondered if this is a case of “selective enforcement” of the rules. As she states, “There are all kinds of signs in other yards; School booster signs, signs for pro teams, fence company signs and security company signs.” Jodi also claims that her family has lived in the same home for six years, with several signs posted on their lawn in the past, all without a single complaint from the association. Jodi wonders why nothing was been said about “the three other signs she has displayed for years.” Signs like:
“Welcome”
“The Burr’s – Established 2005?
and
“Blue Star Mom”
The family also displayed lawn signs when Corey was playing sports for the local high school teams, a banner stating “Home of a Parkway Panther” with Corey‘s number was frequently seen on the Burr’s property. Again, nothing was ever said.
A local school teacher, Jodi Burr stressed to The Blaze that she and her husband Timothy are “law abiding citizens” and “would not think of breaking the law, but we have not even gotten the chance to present our case for an exception to the covenant.”
The homeowners association has filed a suit, and the Burrs have responded, thanks to the help of two lawyers doing “pro bono” work on their case. Lawyers representing the homeowners group are not commenting on the suit as this is an ongoing matter. A judge has been assigned to handle the complaint but no court date has been set.
Jodi Burr said that she has heard the suit might make it on the court’s calendar in the end of September and she is “not taking down the sign until a judge tells me to, or my son comes home.”
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