Town of Jackson v. Town and Country Motor Inn, Inc.

In these two cases, we decide whether a town can, by ordinance, require the removal of signs which existed long before the ordinance’s effective date. We hold that it may not.

Town and Country Motor Inn, Inc., owns a sign located on Route 16 in the town of Jackson. The sign is located on land that is covered under a lease arrangement with the owner of the land. It measures 8' x 24' and indicates the location of the motor inn which is in Gorham, about twenty miles away. The sign is mounted on steel posts set in concrete footings. It has been in its present location since 1966 but was rebuilt in…