SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A South Milwaukee homeowner is pushing back after the city ordered him to take down his year-round skeleton display, calling it a violation of property maintenance codes.

Sean Oster and his wife have maintained the display — featuring skeletons named Hector and Henrietta along with other decorations— for nearly two years, dressing them up for holidays, sports events, and other occasions.

The display has drawn attention from neighbors and passersby, with some saying it has become part of the neighborhood’s character.

Watch: South Milwaukee homeowner fights city order to remove year-round skeleton display

South Milwaukee homeowner fights city order to remove year-round skeleton display

“It’s like an expression of the owner’s passion… and I think it’s cool they can use their lawn that way,” neighbor Jeremy Payment said.

Mike Beiermeister

Last month, Oster received a letter from the city of South Milwaukee describing the skeletons as Halloween decorations being displayed outside the appropriate time of year and ordering him to remove them by July 7.

Under the city’s property maintenance code, yards must be kept free of anything considered an “unreasonable blighting influence,” which the city says can include displays left up out of season. The notice also flagged an inoperable vehicle on the property. Each violation could result in fines of up to $500 per day if not corrected by the deadline.

Oster says he understands part of the city’s concern.

“They have a few points… I’ve got a couple collector cars… I understand those shouldn’t be out,” Oster said.

Mike Beiermeister

He plans to move the cars into the garage and clean up the yard, but says the skeletons are staying.

“I don’t think it’s hurting anybody. It’s literally a victimless crime,” Oster said.

Oster also had a message for whoever filed the complaint.

“Live with it… more people like it than hate it. And if we’re enforcing this, then we should go around and take down Christmas lights that are up year-round,” Oster said.

The city administrator did not respond to a request for comment.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.

Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip

After spending months helping immigrant families weather the economic fallout of federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities, Smitten Kitten is asking the community for help sustaining itself.

The adult retail store in Minneapolis’ Lyn-Lake neighborhood issued a public plea for community financial support. 

The strain comes after months of directing staff and volunteer time, resources and fundraising efforts toward mutual aid work that supported immigrants during Operation Metro Surge. 

The store became one of the most visible community aid hubs after the federal operation began. Following the killing of Renee Good, Smitten Kitten began collecting groceries, diapers, toilet paper and other essentials. 

“Nothing is going to change unless we’re going to do something,” said Anne Lehman, Smitten Kitten social media manager and mutual aid advisor. 

The store also helped direct efforts toward rent relief for immigrants facing heightened uncertainty and economic hardship. 

“People had been hiding out since October. They’re going to need things like diapers, toilet paper and water.” Lehman said. “We ended up opening our store as a donation drop-off stop.”

Community support quickly exceeded expectations. 

“It felt like every fifteen minutes someone was pulling up in an SUV that just came from Costco,” Lehman said. “As soon as we got it, it would be gone because of how great the need was.”

Lehman said that the attention also created safety concerns for staff and visitors. 

“We had to move where our stuff was because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had caught on to what we were doing and tried to intimidate us,” said Lehman. 

In response, the store decided to move its operations elsewhere and began to focus on raising money for necessities. According to Lehman, the establishment raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various needs. 

The operation, in part, ended by mid-February, and federal presence in Minnesota diminished. As things began to wind down, so did cash flow at Smitten Kitten. 

“There were a lot of weeks where we were cutting it close on payroll,” said Lehman. 

In a social media post, Lehman asked the community to come help support the store by asking for donations, asking people to shop at their store or online. 

“We are asking for help, but also all of these things that we’re pouring all of our energy into is not going away,” said Lehman. “If we want to continue doing mutual aid, we have to have a solid foundation of our business as well.”