For sale sign in motor coach

Visitor Asks: We live in a deed restricted community in Citrus County. We are allowed to store our motorhome on the lot. I have a for sale sign in the front window with a phone number, and the homeowners association says that we cannot do that.

Here is all I can find on it from the deed restrictions. My sign is in the front window that says for sale and our number. It is not on the lot.

Here is what I found:

"4:03 No sign, flag, banner, pennant, poster, bulletin, streamer, or any device designed to communicate information or images shall be permitted to be displayed on any Lot, in any manner, except as follows:

1. Only one sign, advertising the Lot "For Sale" may be displayed on any Lot, and only under the following conditions: The sign shall not exceed ninety-six (96) square inches in size; the sign must be placed on the outside of the house on one or two posts; the combined sign posts shall not exceed two (2) inches in diameter; no part of the sign shall exceed thirty-six (36) inches in height from the natural terrain; and, no sign shall include the price being asked for the property;"

There is no mention of signs on chattels just on lots.

Any thoughts!
Thank you

Editors Reply: It is actually quite common to have a restriction on any signage except signs designed to facilitate the sale of real estate. Your restrictions are slightly curious in that they specify that the lot must be for sale and ignore what happens if you are selling the home.

In any case, our thought is that your restrictions outlaw a sign designed to sell your motor home, and any comparable sign that someone might place to sell a car, lawn mower, or anything else that might be visible from the front of the lot.

That first sentence that you quote is the key. We see your logic in thinking that because your sign is inside the motor coach and not on a post planted on the lot itself, you might be home free. But we don't think that would be the common interpretation in public or private code enforcement.

If you know several neighbors well, you might have a conversation with them to see if they feel the restrictions are too strict. Occasionally it is easy for the homeowners association (HOA) to change the restrictions, although usually that is not the case.

We are afraid you are stuck with the HOA interpretation of the covenants, which seems pretty reasonable to us given the specific wording.

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