When it comes to property lines, disputes can arise from just about anything. This is especially true if one neighbor does not like what the other neighbor is doing on their side of the property line. Some of our readers here in Michigan may have experienced something similar and know that these types of property disputes can lead to litigation in order to find a resolution.
Such was the case for one property owner in Pennsylvania who found herself in a particularly tricky dispute recently that had been brewing since 2008. The problem stemmed from a sign for a church that had been placed on the edge of her property. Though the sign was on the state- and borough-owned rights of way that bordered her property, the woman felt that the property where the sign had been placed was not properly zoned for such a structure.
In defiance of the sign, the woman placed a sign of her own in front of the church’s sign, which stated her opinion about why it should be removed. When she was asked by the city to take down her sign, she argued that this violated her rights to equal protection and freedom of speech. Eventually, the dispute was taken to court in 2012.
But because of the borough’s statute of limitations for such a matter, a judge recently denied the woman relief in her case, pointing out that she had taken too long to file her grievance. Although she may be able to appeal her case, it’s unknown whether she intends to continue the fight at a later date.
Source: Courthouse News, “Church Sign Overcomes Property Owner’s Protest,” Rose Bouboushian, Aug. 27, 2013
