Jeremy Morris, dubbed the “Christmas Lawyer,” has finally settled a long-drawn lawsuit involving the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) in West Hayden Estates, Idaho. Morris took to his Facebook page today (December 24) to share an update on the 2017 case.
The lawyer had accused the HOA of religious discrimination after it asked him to remove an elaborate Christmas display from his property. He was initially awarded $75,000 after a jury delivered a unanimous decision in his favor, but a federal judge later overturned the verdict.
Highlights
- Lawyer Jeremy Morris has settled his lawsuit against the West Hayden Estates HOA after eight years of legal battle.
- Morris filed the lawsuit in 2017, accusing the HOA of religious discrimination sparked by his Christmas display.
- Morris revealed his plans to use the settlement money to host an even bigger Christmas event after the ban was finally lifted.
“The evil done by the federal judge has been undone, and our family’s right to celebrate Christmas through this ministry has been vindicated,” he wrote.
After years of appeal, the legal dispute has finally been resolved, with Morris claiming that he received a significantly larger sum than the initial fee in the settlement with the HOA.
Jeremy Morris’ Christmas display sparked a years-long legal dispute with the HOA
Image credits: thechristmaslawyer
Morris first gained widespread media attention in 2014 after he arranged a Christmas display intended to raise money for kids with cancer. The decorations attracted thousands of visitors to his house.
In 2015, the lawyer and his family moved into their “dream house” in Hayden, Kootenai County.
Image credits: Apple TV+
Soon after, he informed the president of the neighborhood homeowners' association of his intention to plan an even bigger display for the following Christmas. However, the HOA was concerned that his plans could potentially offend the neighborhood atheists.
Image credits: Apple TV+
Regardless, Morris decorated his home with around 700,000 lights months before Christmas and refused to take them down even after the HOA reiterated its demands. His display also included a live nativity scene, costumed characters, a children's choir, and a camel.
The event went forward, lasting five evenings. However, it led to the Morris family receiving threats from their neighbors. Ultimately, Morris decided to take legal action and sued the HOA in 2017, accusing them of violating the Fair Housing Act and religious discrimination.
Image credits: thechristmaslawyer
The lawsuit also became the subject of the 2021 documentary 'Twas the Fight Before Christmas. The Morris family has since moved out of Idaho, but continues to own their home in West Hayden Estates.
Jeremy Morris and the HOA have finally agreed to settle the lawsuit
Image credits: thechristmaslawyer
Despite a jury initially ruling in Morris’ favor, a federal judge reversed the verdict after the plaintiff reportedly failed to provide facts to support the alleged religious discrimination. Instead, the judge found the Morris family had violated the neighborhood rules.
As a result, the judge permanently banned the family from hosting another such event and ordered Morris to pay the HOA’s legal fees of roughly $111,000.
Image credits: Apple TV+
Morris contested the ruling in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2020, but after a four-year wait, a three-judge panel reaffirmed the federal judge’s decision. He took the case to the Supreme Court, which pushed it back to a lower appellate court, prompting the HOA to ultimately settle.
Image credits: thechristmaslawyer
Following the lawsuit’s settlement, Morris spoke to Fox News and admitted that the HOA had paid him significantly more than the jury had initially awarded him. He also revealed that he was using some of the settlement money to plan an even bigger Christmas display.
Jeremy Morris revealed how he’s spending the windfall money from the HOA lawsuit
Image credits: thechristmaslawyer
“Well, I can tell you that I'm buying a lot of Christmas lights, and I'm enjoying it every time that I scr*w in a light bulb. I think of my HOA and their effort to shut down Christmas,” he said.
“I would never again try to spread Christmas cheer to hateful people. They don’t deserve my Christmas fun. But I’ll be doing it with their money,” Morris said about his plans following the end of his nearly eight years in a legal battle with the HOA.
Even after Morris’ lawsuit sparked headlines, Christmas displays continue to prove a contentious matter for HOAs across the USA.
According to Holden Litigation, a US-based nontraditional defense firm, religious discrimination, which was the grounds of Morris’ lawsuit, is one of the most common reasons HOAs are sued.
Earlier this month, an identical incident occurred in San Antonio, Texas, after Tamara Gathright and her family were locked in a legal dispute with their HOA.
According to reports, the family’s Christmas light display allegedly created excessive glare, resulting in the HOA threatening them with a $2,500 fine.
Image credits: thechristmaslawyer
Gathright argued that the HOA was unfairly targeting her family because of earlier disputes. “On one hand, they’re encouraging (decorating), and on the other hand, they’re trying to slap me with a $2,500 fine for doing it,” she told Kens 5.
Image credits: thechristmaslawyer
Image credits: thechristmaslawyer
Gathright also felt that the HOA’s decision infringed on the family’s religious rights, which are protected by Texas Senate Bill 581. The 2021 bill allows homeowners to display religious items on their property without posing any safety risks.
"Grinches and Scrooges aren't going to steal or stop our Christmas spirit. I won't be bullied," Gathright said, refusing to take down the lights despite the ongoing dispute.
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