Landlords and Political Yard Signs, Vol. 2

[metropolis2k]

Hi everybody,

I have a question. One that has been asked before, but I have a slightly alternate version. We are supporters of the Obama and Democratic campaigns and rent a house in North Carolina. Our direct neighbourhood has a lot of people that choose the McCain/Republican side. To each his own in my opinion. I wanted to however show the world out there that I'm in support of Barack Obama and our candidate for governor Kay Hagan. I placed two yard signs in the yard beside the road. This weekend I noticed somebody had removed our Obama/Biden sign. Of course I was very upset about it, imagined it was probably somebody in the neighbourhood that didn't like the sign to be there as there are so many McCain/Palin signs already. But today I came home from work and our Kay Hagan sign was gone too!

I knew my landlord had been to our place today since we're getting a new showerstall installed tomorrow and he had to do some field work before they come in tomorrow. So naturally I called my landlady and asked her if she knew anything about it. She flat out said 'I took it, it is my property and the reason is that I am afraid of retaliation from people around us.' I was surprised by this move. She said she didn't have anything to do with taking the Obama sign. Strange thing was that that same landlady called me earlier today and started complimenting me on what a fine job me and my wife were doing taking care of their place. Which I thought was a strange impromptu call. I figured by that time she had already taken the sign away and maybe that was her strategy ....

I am just really pissed off about it. The way it was handled, not politely calling me (remember, she was on the phone earlier today), but blatantly removing my yard sign and not telling us about it. Instead us having to find out by having a hunch and calling her up. Of course, this is their property, I'm merely renting. But by paying them my monthly rent, doesn't that kinda take away their rights to the property and house? I mean, it would be like my landlady entering my house and saying she doesn't like my couch and having U-Haul come in and take my couch away. Isn't it? Do I have any rights as a renter in this case? Of course, this is disturbing my relationship with my landlords and will seek to move elsewhere. But I'm just wondering if there is nothing I can do.

Your advise and tips are definitely appreciated!

 

[Shattered]

Hi everybody,

I have a question. One that has been asked before, but I have a slightly alternate version. We are supporters of the Obama and Democratic campaigns and rent a house in North Carolina. Our direct neighbourhood has a lot of people that choose the McCain/Republican side. To each his own in my opinion. I wanted to however show the world out there that I'm in support of Barack Obama and our candidate for governor Kay Hagan. I placed two yard signs in the yard beside the road. This weekend I noticed somebody had removed our Obama/Biden sign. Of course I was very upset about it, imagined it was probably somebody in the neighbourhood that didn't like the sign to be there as there are so many McCain/Palin signs already. But today I came home from work and our Kay Hagan sign was gone too!

I knew my landlord had been to our place today since we're getting a new showerstall installed tomorrow and he had to do some field work before they come in tomorrow. So naturally I called my landlady and asked her if she knew anything about it. She flat out said 'I took it, it is my property and the reason is that I am afraid of retaliation from people around us.' I was surprised by this move. She said she didn't have anything to do with taking the Obama sign. Strange thing was that that same landlady called me earlier today and started complimenting me on what a fine job me and my wife were doing taking care of their place. Which I thought was a strange impromptu call. I figured by that time she had already taken the sign away and maybe that was her strategy ....

I am just really pissed off about it. The way it was handled, not politely calling me (remember, she was on the phone earlier today), but blatantly removing my yard sign and not telling us about it. Instead us having to find out by having a hunch and calling her up. Of course, this is their property, I'm merely renting. But by paying them my monthly rent, doesn't that kinda take away their rights to the property and house? I mean, it would be like my landlady entering my house and saying she doesn't like my couch and having U-Haul come in and take my couch away. Isn't it? Do I have any rights as a renter in this case? Of course, this is disturbing my relationship with my landlords and will seek to move elsewhere. But I'm just wondering if there is nothing I can do.

Your advise and tips are definitely appreciated!

It doesn't take away their rights at all. If you get an aquarium, and they say it's too large; you have to remove it, then you have to remove it. Anything that has the potential to alter the value/condition of their property is within their rights to handle as they see fit.

The manner in which they *handled* it sucks, but there really isn't anything you can do about it as far as I know... Did the renting a townhouse thing for years, and just had to suck it up until I bought a house.

 

[glockmail]

It's their property- you are a mere renter. They have complete control over the outside, and you have limited control of the inside. Suck it up.

If I was your landlord I'd bill you for removal of the sign.

 

[glockmail]

.... had to suck it up until I bought a house.

... Suck it up.

.....

I swear I didn't read your post before I used the exact same term.

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

Hi everybody,

I have a question. One that has been asked before, but I have a slightly alternate version. We are supporters of the Obama and Democratic campaigns and rent a house in North Carolina. Our direct neighbourhood has a lot of people that choose the McCain/Republican side. To each his own in my opinion. I wanted to however show the world out there that I'm in support of Barack Obama and our candidate for governor Kay Hagan. I placed two yard signs in the yard beside the road. This weekend I noticed somebody had removed our Obama/Biden sign. Of course I was very upset about it, imagined it was probably somebody in the neighbourhood that didn't like the sign to be there as there are so many McCain/Palin signs already. But today I came home from work and our Kay Hagan sign was gone too!

I knew my landlord had been to our place today since we're getting a new showerstall installed tomorrow and he had to do some field work before they come in tomorrow. So naturally I called my landlady and asked her if she knew anything about it. She flat out said 'I took it, it is my property and the reason is that I am afraid of retaliation from people around us.' I was surprised by this move. She said she didn't have anything to do with taking the Obama sign. Strange thing was that that same landlady called me earlier today and started complimenting me on what a fine job me and my wife were doing taking care of their place. Which I thought was a strange impromptu call. I figured by that time she had already taken the sign away and maybe that was her strategy ....

I am just really pissed off about it. The way it was handled, not politely calling me (remember, she was on the phone earlier today), but blatantly removing my yard sign and not telling us about it. Instead us having to find out by having a hunch and calling her up. Of course, this is their property, I'm merely renting. But by paying them my monthly rent, doesn't that kinda take away their rights to the property and house? I mean, it would be like my landlady entering my house and saying she doesn't like my couch and having U-Haul come in and take my couch away. Isn't it? Do I have any rights as a renter in this case? Of course, this is disturbing my relationship with my landlords and will seek to move elsewhere. But I'm just wondering if there is nothing I can do.

Your advise and tips are definitely appreciated!

I think it depends on applicable state law, but unless there is something written in the lease that specifically forbids the signs, then she may have acted in a way that she is not allowed to. There may be things in state law that compare what you rent with other properties that she owns, and equal treatment.

http://www.ncdoj.com/DocumentStreamerClient?directory=CPTipAlert/&file=Landlord-tenant booklet.pdf

http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/lamp/cle/1105_Rowe_LandlordHandout.pdf


I do not know what NC law is, a landlord in California can just give a thirty day notice that they want their house back, and the tenant has to move. If it is like that there.....

Now, if someone has threatened the landlord in any way because of your sign, then someone needs to call the police and press charges.

The best way to find out things is to talk to some of the local groups that handle landlord tenant issues.

Now, my opinion of the landlord is that she is sneaky rude! But that is something else. I am not sure what can be done with that except vigilance, and looking for another place to live, with a better landlord.

 

[metropolis2k]

And another thing : I never signed a lease. The only thing that I have that shows that I'm renting this property are check images showing the address and that I paid them their monthly rent. Listen, I don't want to be an asshole about this either. If they would have said, listen, I don't like those signs you put up in our yard (reason not even important), I would have removed them without problems. I'm like that you know, I don't want to cause problems. I just support a particular political candidate and never even thought about ramifications of me putting up those signs. Instead, she just comes by without notice, and removes my signs. It wasn't until I called her later today that I found out by right out asking her, that she removed the signs.

I'm really dumbfounded by this...

In my opinion, somebody here takes away my constitutional rights.

 

[metropolis2k]

>> If I was your landlord I'd bill you for removal of the sign.

Conservatives are assholes.

 

[Shattered]

And another thing : I never signed a lease. The only thing that I have that shows that I'm renting this property are check images showing the address and that I paid them their monthly rent. Listen, I don't want to be an asshole about this either. If they would have said, listen, I don't like those signs you put up in our yard (reason not even important), I would have removed them without problems. I'm like that you know, I don't want to cause problems. I just support a particular political candidate and never even thought about ramifications of me putting up those signs. Instead, she just comes by without notice, and removes my signs. It wasn't until I called her later today that I found out by right out asking her, that she removed the signs.

I'm really dumbfounded by this...

In my opinion, somebody here takes away my constitutional rights.

Umm.. If you never signed a lease, you have even LESS rights than you think you do... In fact, you have nothing.

-An Asshole Conservative

(Thanks for the broad brushstroke - you'll go far here with it)

 

[glockmail]

And another thing : I never signed a lease. ....

Conservatives are assholes.

You definitely have no fucking case whatsoever. Obviously it is you, dumb enough to live in a shit hole without even signing a contract, yet arrogant enough to claim that 30% of the country who don't think like you do are assholes, are the true asshole here.

 

[glockmail]

Umm.. If you never signed a lease, you have even LESS rights than you think you do... In fact, you have nothing.

-An Asshole Conservative

(Thanks for the broad brushstroke - you'll go far here with it)

OMG Red this is frightening.

 

[metropolis2k]

blah ... thanks for the truly helpful advice. I wasn't the one who started that shit in the first place. If all the help I'll get here is condescending asshole remarks then why don't you both FOAD. Another advice seeking poor democrat chased away from your message board. What the fuck. You're pathetic.

 

[Shattered]

blah ... thanks for the truly helpful advice. I wasn't the one who started that shit in the first place. If all the help I'll get here is condescending asshole remarks then why don't you both FOAD. Another advice seeking poor democrat chased away from your message board. What the fuck. You're pathetic.

Excuse me? I don't see where I was the least bit condescending, until you painted all conservatives with the same brush, in which case I merely signed my post with "A Conservative Asshole"..

Issues much?

 

[metropolis2k]

that conservatives are assholed remark was my response to the signature of glockmail, where he basically states that liberals are liars. After condescendingly telling me basically I'm a fucking fool for even thinking that I have a case when I haven't even signed a lease. Here, I even apologize and take that remark back about the conservatives are assholes. That's the kind of guy I am. I don't know what glockmail's issue is but clearly he hasn't gotten any in over a year or something.

 

[metropolis2k]

>> yet arrogant enough to claim that 30% of the country who don't think like you do are assholes, are the true asshole here.

says somebody who puts "Liberals are Liars" in his signature. Real good.

 

[glockmail]

that conservatives are assholed remark was my response to the signature of glockmail, where he basically states that liberals are liars. After condescendingly telling me basically I'm a fucking fool for even thinking that I have a case when I haven't even signed a lease. Here, I even apologize and take that remark back about the conservatives are assholes. That's the kind of guy I am. I don't know what glockmail's issue is but clearly he hasn't gotten any in over a year or something.

Your bold text proves my signature, at least for you. Oops.

 

[Shattered]

that conservatives are assholed remark was my response to the signature of glockmail, where he basically states that liberals are liars. After condescendingly telling me basically I'm a fucking fool for even thinking that I have a case when I haven't even signed a lease. Here, I even apologize and take that remark back about the conservatives are assholes. That's the kind of guy I am. I don't know what glockmail's issue is but clearly he hasn't gotten any in over a year or something.

Well, that's something you can feel free to take up with him down in the Flame Zone.. Still not nice to paint everyone. Better to let each individual person stand on their own merit.

Fact is, you really don't have a leg to stand on, and you have even less of one without a signed lease. Your landlord could boot you out tomorrow, and there's not a thing you could do about it.

I'd suggest getting a lease drawn up immediately, or moving to some place that bothers with them - it protects both of you.

 

[metropolis2k]

glockmail : get a life, would ya?

 

[Shattered]

Ahem.. Flame Zone's down here: The Flame Zone - US Message Board

 

[glockmail]

glockmail : get a life, would ya?

I've got at least one, thanks. And two houses.

 

[metropolis2k]

Hey Shattered, what I don't understand is that my posting gets taken down for 'painting with a broad brushstroke' while your buddy glockmail does it IN EVERY POST. You tell me...