TrackerSam
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An Ohio appeals court is considering an unusual question: can a person be a sign?
The case involves Liberty Tax Service, which employs people to dress like the Statue of Liberty and stand by the road outside offices waving to drivers in an attempt to get them to use the tax preparers.
But West Chester Township contends that these workers are actually signs promoting the business, and can therefore be regulated by the township.
The costumed employee usually stands outside the tax preparer's offices about four months out of the year, and the township argued that the display detracts from the neighborhood's aesthetics.
"The issue isn't whether a human being is a sign," said Scott Phillips, an attorney for the township. "The issue is the device that's being utilized which is the costume in this case."
Vyhnalek said the costumed employee draws in about one-third of the practice's clients.
"How could one of our national emblems degrade the image of the neighborhood?" Vyhnalek said. "In what way does it degrade? If anything, it adds character."
The appeals court is expected to take a couple of months to issue its ruling.
Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/local-news.../16635688/-/rwwx77/-/index.html#ixzz271F6PxDH
The case involves Liberty Tax Service, which employs people to dress like the Statue of Liberty and stand by the road outside offices waving to drivers in an attempt to get them to use the tax preparers.
But West Chester Township contends that these workers are actually signs promoting the business, and can therefore be regulated by the township.
The costumed employee usually stands outside the tax preparer's offices about four months out of the year, and the township argued that the display detracts from the neighborhood's aesthetics.
"The issue isn't whether a human being is a sign," said Scott Phillips, an attorney for the township. "The issue is the device that's being utilized which is the costume in this case."
Vyhnalek said the costumed employee draws in about one-third of the practice's clients.
"How could one of our national emblems degrade the image of the neighborhood?" Vyhnalek said. "In what way does it degrade? If anything, it adds character."
The appeals court is expected to take a couple of months to issue its ruling.
Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/local-news.../16635688/-/rwwx77/-/index.html#ixzz271F6PxDH
