A San Antonio family has been informed by their homeowners association that they put up their holiday decorations too early, and the snowman needs to go back into storage until later in the season. Come on—this is clearly viral marketing for either Hallmark or Lifetime, some channel planning to drop a last-minute surprise Christmas movie about the grinchy HOA lawyer who goes after the decorating family, and the holiday-loving local who steps in to defend them.
Local affiliate WOAI reported (in a story that was promptly picked up by The Today Show) that the Simonis family in Texas put up their decorations early this year, because mom Claudia is currently eight months pregnant and expects to have her hands full in the coming weeks. No good, says their homeowners association, a perfect holiday movie villain if I’ve ever seen one!
The decorations have been up since Nov. 1, but the neighborhood’s homeowners association, Diamond Association Management & Consulting (DAMC), says that’s too early. On Nov. 4, DAMC sent the Simonis family a letter informing them of the violation.
“Maintenance – Holiday Decorations Need To Be Removed,” the notice read. Under a section labeled “inspector notes,” DAMC asked the family to “please remove the snowman until closer to the holiday season.”
They didn’t even tell them when it would be okay to install the snowman. “Like, when is the right time to put it?” asked Claudia. Give them a date, at least, Diamond Association Management & Consulting! This is of course the sort of wacky comedic detail that will really distinguish this addition to the Christmas romance canon. What’s more, the story has already taken a cinematic turn, as the family is refusing to take down their decorations and neighbors are apparently planning to decorate early in support. A perfect setting for the antagonist love interest’s big realization about the meaning of Christmas!
I have watched too much Hallmark and I am, as they say, losing the plot.