Man Fined For Zombies: Needed Permit

Zombies Vs Permits: The Nativity Scene Gone Wrong

Zombies are still popular thanks to shows like The Walking Dead, and it’s no wonder that they are still popping up everywhere in pop culture. However, not everyone likes the living dead, and zombies have gotten at least one person in trouble recently. No, Jasen Dixon (no relation to the fictional Darryl Dixon of The Walking Dead – we think) wasn’t bitten by one of the walkers, but the upset residents in the town of Sycamore, Ohio just might bite him based on the nativity scene he created.

Dixon wanted to do something different with the nativity scene he put in his yard, and in that he certainly succeeded. Instead of the traditional manger scene, he decided to make things a bit more interesting by using zombies. His neighbors and others in the town did not think that it was quite as interesting as Dixon does, and they were outraged. In a world where anything can bring Internet notoriety, it only took a short amount of time before the rest of the world weighed in with their opinions on the matter. As you can imagine, the opinions were divided.

Is Using Zombies Against the Law?

One of the misconceptions that many people have had surrounding this case is that they believe that Dixon is being fined and made to remove his scene because it contains zombies. That’s not the case though. According to the town, the reason is all about zoning. Since it’s technically a structure and he did not get permission to build it, he was fined. This means that if other people around the country want to create a zombie nativity scene for their front yard, they can as long as they aren’t in violation of their town’s zoning laws.

However, there was not only the legal backlash regarding the nativity scene for Dixon. Many of his neighbors and other townsfolk who are devout Christians took offense to the scene, and they let him know. One went so far as to leave a note at the scene that said, “God frowns upon this manger scene.” Other neighbors have voiced their opinion as well. Due to the fines, Dixon started up a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to help pay for them.

The Moral of the Story

While you might want to put your personality into your holiday décor, you need to consider several things before your creativity gets too carried away. You have to make sure that whatever you are putting up and building is not illegal in your area due to zoning. You should also take some time to consider how your neighbors will react. Even if you don’t think it should matter what the neighbors think, it can make life a bit more challenging for the rest of the year. Have fun, be creative, but just use some common sense no matter what time of year you are decorating for. After all, there’s likely to be some zombie baby New Years and zombie cupids roaming around in the coming months!

Want More Crazy Law Related Stories?

If you liked this story, please enjoy more (our favourite search tool thinks you did not like our website if you only look at one page). Here are more:

Our Wacky Wednesday Blog Home Page

or some of the most read blogs:

Being Naked And The Law

or

Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit over 80 Cent Coupon

Wacky Wednesdays are brought to you by Kahane Law Office in Calgary Alberta. Kahane Law Office is an award winning full service law firm.