ELYRIA, Ohio — For a week, a sign in front of a house on Warren Avenue became the talk of Elyria.
The message "F*** you City of Elyria, it's my property not yours" covered a large plywood sign on full display for drivers.
“I have gotten a lot of threats through Facebook about it. You know, 'You need to take that down, it’s vulgar language, it’s kids,' whatnot," homeowner William Grabrovac said. "I understand that situation, but if you go walk up and down the streets, there’s a lot of f-- Biden signs flying around. What’s the difference?”
Grabrovac put up the message after the City of Elyria issued him a notice of violations for extending his driveway and adding a pergola without a permit. The sign stayed for the next seven days.
“It’s my property, my rules, and that’s, everything snowballed from there," Grabrovac said.
He says he was making a statement with the sign, showing that he disagreed with the city's permit requirements and didn't understand why he was limited in making alterations to his property.
On Thursday, after a full week with the sign on display, Grabrovac met with the city and they came to an agreement.
The notice of violations issued by the city shows Grabrovac was initially told he would need to remove his gravel driveway extension and turn it back into grass.
Now, Grabrovac can keep the gravel as long as he doesn't park there. He promised to take the sign down and get the required permits for his home.
However, when Grabrovac came home from work Thursday afternoon, the sign was already on the ground. He believes someone destroyed it while he was at work, but he doesn't know who is responsible.
“I don’t appreciate that. If I knew who did it, shame on them, it should not have been done that way," Grabrovac said.
Though Grabrovac and the city have come to an agreement he believes is fair, he wishes city code and permit requirements were clearer.
He says he believes that would prevent misunderstandings and help residents feel more in control of their properties.