Can the HOA erect additional signage in front of my house

Hello All,
I was wondering if people could please weigh in on this situation:
In the last year we have moved into a house in Orlando Fl and we pay HOA dues. The house is on a corner lot on one of the 4 access routes. I recently met the HOA president who informed me that an additional sign was to be erected in my front garden. We already have the signage of the HOA name imbedded in the boundary wall. He was proposing a 4 foot high sign that would be lit at night and it and have a kind of plexiglass cabinet front with changeable lettering to give HOA contact info and community event details etc... He was proposing that it be placed right at the front of our garden where it joins the sidewalk in front of the small area of shrubs maintained by the HOA. As the house is quite pretty, framed by the trees and existing HOA wall and signage I thought to put a large additional sign straight smack bang in front of the lawn (and 5-10 yards from existing name signage) would certainly take from the curb appeal and look hodge-podge with the other signage. He mentioned that it WAS going in but we could discuss exactly where. He implied that I had no say in it because that part of the land is not on my property. I have since looked at my title and the place he wants to place the sign IS on my property, as is the HOA maintained shrubbery. I would like to know were I stand here because I would like to put my foot down
Any advice, expertise and opinion is welcomed...
Cheers,

Thanks for the speedy reply. I am new to a HOA situation and so am completely naive about easements. So thanks for clueing me in I guess the gist of what you're saying is that the HOA has a right of access, duty to maintain, permission to erect etc on the part of my land abutting the boundary. I did a quick search and there is nothing in the title/deed and nothing on the HOA website that gives details of the easement rules and and regs. So, I am wondering if the HOA's access/usage of the easement is limitless? Can I have any say? What if I feel that new signage cheapens the entrance and lowers curb appeal and therefore resale value? I guess I am asking if there are some general guidelines that easements tend to follow? I should also mention that in addition to the HOA name signage on the wall, I already have a 2x3 foot "No soliciting" smack in front of my house and so I find a 3rd sign is really too much across my frontage... Surely there is a clause about reasonableness

politely, but FIRMLY, request a copy of the document the HOA feels gives the right of easement onto your property

if it is not forthcoming, have YOUR attorney request same in writing (cost about $150 for letter)

either:

a) they HAVE easement ~ you are sol

or

b) they do not, or have limitations ~ remove any tresspass items and call local police

FIRST: take the polite route ~ trust, but verify !

Go to your town hall and get copies of the signage rules and regulations. Often times there are limits on the number and size of signs placed on one lot. Town law supersedes association rules

Dear SteveM9, KevinK7, MoM1, PeterD3, JohnB26,
Thank you for your insight. I will try to find more specific information re: easement in our HOA. I took a drive this evening around surrounding neighborhoods and none of them have the tacky signage that is being proposed by the HOA. I really do feel that it is unnecessary and if they would just keep the website current and send out a monthly email newsletter it would circumnavigate the need for such a sign…
Thank you for the feedback
S

Best advice thus far!
Show the documents you have that say it's your property. Ask for them to prove they have legal right to do anything on it.

I think Allison has hit on an excellent point regarding the "quiet enjoyment" of one's private property. If the HOA is working on its common area, which happens to be near a private lot, then the question may be moot. John's advice to be firm but friendly is equally valuable.

Thanks for additional feedback.

The HOA president said he'd get back to me this week with images of the said sign and decision about its placement. After noting my duress about the sign he mentioned that he would consider putting across the street in my new neighbor's yard. Lucky them And of course we still all get to look at it!

I have dug out all the information I have from the title documents from our closing. A land survey was completed prior to closing and copies of this diagram came with our closing package. The scale drawing has no details or markings to deliniate the part of the land considered to be an easement. I also went to the Orange County website and after some searching I finally came across this document:
http://www.municode.com/Library#/FL/Orange_County/Code_of_Ordinances
It is a long document. It is a long, long document full of legalese. But from what I can glean, aside from the "use of easement" question, is that there seems to be strict guidelines re the size, number and placement of signs. Furthermore, it seems to state only ONE sign per property.

The current HOA website has not been updated for months and there is certainly no record of the decision making process about these proposed signs. In my talk with the president, after he lamented about low HOA participation, I mentioned an updated website with monthly minutes and a monthly news email could be the answer to all his woes. It would be nice if residents who can't/don't participate could be informed what's going on in those meetings.

As per advice given here, I will gently but firmly request that the HOA provide me with access to the document that he believes gives the HOA the right to erect further signage across my frontage. And we will see what happens

Thanks all.

My neighborhood before built a wall but the wall was to be built on the homeowner's property. They had each owner sign a document that they filed with the county granting the HOA an easement to build the wall and access to the wall if needed to fix or maintain.