A pro-Trump California man stood his ground as his homeowners’ association ordered him to take down political signs supporting the former president.
Paul Wood Bonilla is sure members of the Sunwest Homeowners Association in Lodi are not big on Trump and have officially told him in a letter that he needs to remove signs and flags that promote the Republican presidential candidate.
“The guy took a bullet for me,” Bonilla told KOVR-TV. “I am going to support him.”
(Video Credit: CBS News Sacramento)
The controversy took a turn as the story was highlighted by the TV station, with the HOA board coming to a compromise on Monday.
The letter to Bonilla mentioned the size of the signs and did not make any political references, according to the news outlet, but he was not convinced there wasn’t some objection to Trump at play.
“I knew that the minute that I started supporting Trump that they were going to give me a hard time,” the homeowner said, speaking of the association, which is part of Katzakian Property Management.
One of his neighbors disagreed and felt the pro-Trump decorations were “intrusive.”
“I think it’s big. I think it’s intrusive,” Jim Brent said. “I don’t think it has to do with the message. It has to do with the way he is expressing it.”
A local attorney warned that the homeowners’ association effort could land them in a lawsuit.
“The HOA is completely wrong,” said Michael Wise. “He cannot force him to take it down at all.”
According to the California Civil Code’s Davis Sterling Act, “An association may prohibit noncommercial signs and posters that are more than nine square feet in size and noncommercial flags or banners that are more than 15 square feet in size.”
Bonilla’s signage does not exceed these limits and the attorney said the homeowner is “permitted” to display his signs by law.
“It doesn’t threaten public safety or health, it doesn’t violate state or federal law, it’s on a permitted medium,” Wise said.
“I am going to stand up for what I believe in. I believe in President Trump,” Bonilla said. “I believe in the American way and I’m not going to be bullied.”
But in an update to the debate, the Sunwest Homeowners Association responded to the news outlet, insisting there is nothing political about the order.
“Would they do that if it said Kamala Harris on here?” Bonilla wondered. “I bet you wouldn’t hear one word because no one would complain.”
(Video Credit: CBS News Sacramento)
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Trump or who it is,” Senior Association Manager at Sunwest Liz Franco told KOVR-TV. “There are just certain restrictions you have when you live in a homeowners association.”
“I talked to the board of directors and they agreed he needed to take down two signs and leave one up, whichever one he decided,” Franco said.
While there was no explanation for why Bonilla first received the letter ordering him to take down the signs, Franco referred to the “2008 appeal court decision of Fourth La Costa v. Seith that ruled HOAs can restrict the number of real estate signs and it could apply to non-commercial signs, like Bonilla’s banners,” the station reported.
But, according to Wise, context is everything.
“It appears to apply to commercial signs, not non-commercial signs,” Wise said. “These are clearly non-commercial signs and banners.”
“The HOA is absolutely wrong,” he added. “Compromise is ok, but they have no leverage.”
Some of Bonilla’s neighbors have joined the fight and hung up pro-Trump signage in solidarity with him. The homeowner, who has lived in the house for 30 years, has opted to take down two of the three signs he had up but is seeking legal counsel on reinstating them.
“If they are right then I’ll comply, but if I have a foot to stand on and fight this then I’ll fight it,” Bonilla said.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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