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June 22, 2009

Woman says she was evicted over Easter decor

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A woman is going to court claiming she was wrongly evicted from her apartment because she kept her Easter decorations on her door for two weeks after the holiday.

Carol Burdick claims her landlord unjustly told her to remove a display of Easter stickers, plastic grass, and Peeps marshmallow candies from her door a few days after the April 12 holiday this year.

"An Easter decoration is a religious statement and should be protected — even if it is just bunnies," said her attorney, John Pineau.

Burdick, 59, is not asking for monetary damages but wants jurors to find that she's not liable for more than $2,000 in rent and late fees that she refused to pay. Jury selection is set for this week.

Pineau told the Daily Camera newspaper that when Burdick refused to remove her display, apartment managers posted a notice saying she was violating her lease, which says balconies, patios and other areas must be kept "in a clean sanitary condition."

Pineau said that amounted to calling Burdick's Easter display "garbage."

He said the landlord removed the display, Burdick stopped paying rent, and she was evicted in May.

Burdick's lease was with the Meadow Creek Apartments and the AIMCO corporation, which owns and operates apartment communities. AIMCO spokesman Cindy Duffy told the Daily Camera she wanted to research Burdick's case before commenting.

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