Some people just can’t take whimsy. But in the case of a South Milwaukee, Wisconsin homeowner’s two giant yard skeletons, it looks like fun will end up winning the day, according to CBS News reported. Sean Oster said the city’s inspection office called to tell him the display could stay, ending a monthslong standoff over the 12-foot figures. The reversal came after a public-interest law firm warned the city that forcing their removal would violate his First Amendment rights.
Oster and his wife, Laura, have kept the two skeletons, named Hector and Henrietta, in their front yard on North Chicago Avenue since late 2024. They dress the skeletons up for each season and holiday. Right now they’re dressed up in a Fourth of July theme. Neighbors have stopped to take photos for nearly two years, and many say the skeletons have become part of the neighborhood.
The dispute began with a Notice of Violation the Osters received on May 20 after someone complained. The city cited the display as “large Halloween decorations being displayed not during appropriate time of year” and pointed to a property maintenance code that bars anything considered an unreasonable blighting influence. The notice also flagged junk, stored equipment, and two disabled vehicles on the property, and set a July 7 deadline to fix everything or face fines of up to $500 per day, according to TMJ4…