Residential Property Rights Defined — Use of Political Lawn Signs
By Nick de Julio, Ewald Consulting
E
very legislative session, the CAI-MN Legislative Action Committee reviews a number of bills that are introduced in the House and Senate by legislators. Some sessions we see new ideas proposed and others we see the recirculation of ideas. This past biennium was no different, as HF 1142 was introduced during the 2015 Legislative Session. The bill brought forward by Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis) is an idea that gets brought up every session. Under the bill, any provision of a homeowners association document that limits the right of an owner of residential property to display a political campaign sign during the calendar dates specified in section 211B.045 would be void and unenforceable. A “homeowners association document” would have included the declaration, articles of incorporation, bylaws, and rules and regulations of a common interest community. This bill was only introduced and no hearing or action was taken on any of the provisions during the 2015 and 2016 Legislative Sessions. Now that the legislative biennium is complete, the bill/issue would have to be reintroduced during the 2017 Legislative Session. Coming off an election year, it is hard to say what will happen. However, this topic and others that involve property rights are what the LAC continues to watch for as well as educate legislators about common interest communities and how they work and are set up.
July | August 2016
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