A resident’s Halloween decorations in Wake Forest, North Carolina, have sparked concern among some angry locals.
The issue centers on a prop decoration outside a home on North Main Street that depicts a mummy-like figure wrapped in a bag, chained and hung upside down by its feet from a rope.
After receiving complaints from residents who called the display “offensive” and “too extreme for Halloween,” the City of Wake Forest intervened.
“Whether it’s near your neck or your feet, it’s still offensive,” one resident said. Others agreed, one of which was telling WRAL that the display was ‘exaggerated’.
However, the homeowner, Scott Leaver, disagreed, saying the decoration had been part of his Halloween setup for the past three years and claiming people lined up for photos in the yard every fall season.
A Wake Forest, North Carolina resident’s Halloween tradition is raising concerns among some residents, with one home’s decoration sparking outrage
The issue centers on a prop decoration outside the home of Scott Leaver (pictured) on North Main Street, depicting a mummy-like figure wrapped in a bag, chained and hung upside down by its feet from a rope.
A statement from the City of Wake Forest to CBS 17 read: ‘On Monday, October 28, we received complaints about an offensive Halloween decoration hanging from a tree in front of a home.
“City staff investigated and determined that the homeowner did not hang the decoration from a tree on his private property, but rather from a street tree on city property.
“Since the decoration was on public property, Wake Forest staff informed the homeowner that he had until 3:00 PM on Tuesday, October 29 to remove the decoration or the city would do so.
“Whether it’s around your neck or your feet, it’s still offensive,” said one resident, while another called the decoration “over the top.”
“After initially indicating that he would remove the decoration and move to his property, the homeowner later responded that he could not remove the decoration before the 3 p.m. deadline. As a result, city staff removed it and left it on his porch.”
Despite the removal, Leaver re-hung the decoration on a tree within the boundary of his property, saying his inspiration came from an album cover.
“The inspiration came from a band called Sonia Dada,” Leaver told CBS17. ‘The cover of their album ‘A Day At The Beach’ features a Houdini competitor being thrown off a bridge into the lake.’
“This is basically a mummy with plastic chains and a canvas,” he told WRAL News.
A resident of Wake Forest’s historic district since 2013, Leaver stated he was disappointed by the response but planned to continue his annual Halloween show, which draws thousands of trick-or-treaters.
Even though the city removed the decor, Leaver rehung the decoration on a tree within the boundary of his property, saying his inspiration came from an album cover.
The inspiration for the decoration came from a band called Sonia Dada, as Leaver explained that the cover of their album, ‘A Day At The Beach’, shows a Houdini competitor being thrown off a bridge into the lake.
While the homeowner still plans to celebrate Halloween, he released a statement to WRAL News apologizing for the damage his decoration caused.
“As residents of the Wake Forest Historic District since 2013 and participating in Halloween every year since, we were disappointed to learn that our decorations offended someone.”
The city says the business is closed, with a reminder that residents are asked to keep decorations on private property.