Creative yard art vandalized

MOBILE, Ala. - The painted posts and few stray decorations are all that's left of the fence Karen Lathan calls a labor of love and art.

Lathan said vandals not only tore down more than half of the fence, they hauled most of it away. The family discovered the damage around noon Saturday.

"Several of the neighbors had a block party in the Cul-de-sac down the street, There was a big party going on down there. I think it's kind of strange nobody saw anything," Lathan said.

Fox Ten News first reported on the fence more than a week ago. Neighbors called it an eyesore.

Stephen Ross lives right across the street.

"It's very aggravating, very frustrating. It's ridiculous, you know there is not reason for it for trash to be hanging across the street from your house," Ross said.

The neighbors complained to the city claiming the fence violated Mobile's municipal code. However, a city inspector disagreed. The inspector's report found no violation and called the decorations creative art.

But that didn't settle the dispute that Lathan said started more than a year ago.

"There was a wedding and all of their guest were parking all up and down our yard, and when we called the police the police told them this is their property you need to move your cars, So that's when we started having all the problems," Lathan said.

The family plans to rebuild the fence, and promise it too will be a creative work of art.

"The yard art is an individual thing. It's an expression of yourself, and just because someone doesn't like the things that I like doesn't mean it's okay to damage my things," said Lathan.