A Thunder Bay man's two recent run-ins with bylaw officers, after a neighbour's complaint, serves as a warning to other homeowners in the city.

Bylaw officers advised John Luckock that his new deck didn’t comply with municipal bylaws. He was told that it had to be taken apart due to an oversized landing and the deck encroaching on his property line.

In protest, he erected a sign on his front lawn that said "Beware of By-Law Snitches", which he kept lit up at night.

A second bylaw complaint was filed for posting an illegal sign.

"I think if they apply the rules fairly across the board that's all well and good. It does in some way infringe on my rights to have an opinion and make a statement," said Luckock.

The city's bylaw department says signs in residential areas are only allowed for happy occasions, like birthdays. They need a permit, and can only remain up for a week.

Permits are not required for a sign advertising a yard sale. However, there are rules for real estate signs, open houses and mobile billboards.

Also, signs in a residential area cannot be lit after 10 p.m.

Luckock removed his sign on Thursday.

“I mean, as it turned out, the sign was up for a couple of weeks. I think I made my point. And I'll have to leave it at that as far as the sign goes," he said.

He will also be fixing the deck to comply with bylaw standards.

Ron Bourret, the manager of the city's licencing and enforcement department, said 95% of people with complaints against them do comply with the bylaw. He also said it's the first time in at least a dozen years anybody has put up a protest sign on a front lawn.

"The other issue in respect to when some people get complaints against them [is] they do get somewhat irritable and angry about it,” said Bourret.

“But ... we've never had anyone express themselves in this way by putting up a sign on their lawn which is, actually as you know, illegal to do so."