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EVERY YEAR AGAIN: THE WAR OVER CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
By
Jan Bergemann
Published
December 4, 2015
Every year again: We read lots of media reports about owners
fighting with associations over Christmas decorations. Where I
come from it’s an old tradition to decorate the home – inside
and outside – and decorate a Christmas tree on Sunday, Advent 1.
In case you are not familiar with the word Advent: Advent
commences on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
Yes, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but in our time and day
many families celebrate Christmas – not only devout Christians!
I see nothing wrong with homes decorated with lots of lights and
Christmas ornaments. I don’t see anything wrong with neighbors
who are decorating their homes celebrating their religious
holidays. Live and let live!
But I am opposed to overbearing Christmas decorations and
outrageous displays that create traffic jams in the community.
Christmas is supposed a holiday of peace. A famous German
Christmas song is ending with the refrain: “--
Peace, peace on the earth!”
Let’s stick to that – and let’s not fight over Christmas
decorations.
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Jan Bergemann is president of Cyber Citizens For Justice,
Florida
's largest state-wide property owners' advocacy group.
CCFJ works on legislation to help owners living in
community
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associations. He moved to
Florida
in 1995 - hoping to retire. He moved into a HOA, where the
developer cheated the homeowners and used the association dues
for his own purposes. End of retirement!
CCFJ was born in the year 2000, when some owners met in
Tallahassee
- finding out that power is only in numbers. Bergemann was a
member of Governor Jeb Bush's HOA Task force in 2003/2004.
The organization has two websites to inform interested
Florida
homeowners and condo owners:
News Website: http://www.ccfj.net/.
Educational Website: http://www.ccfjfoundation.net/.
We think that only owners can really represent owners, since all
service providers surely have a different interest! We are
trying to create owner-friendly laws, but the best laws are
useless without enforcement. And enforcement is totally lacking
in
Florida
!
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