When Will Cramer decided to sell his 1987 Chevrolet truck as he prepared to retire and move abroad, he thought putting a simple “for sale” sign in the window would be an easy and effective way to find a buyer. Little did he know, this innocent act would lead him on a legal battle against his local borough government.
Cramer, a recently retired high school teacher who spent the last 20 years teaching geometry and biology in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, ran afoul of a local ordinance that criminalizes displaying for-sale signs on legally parked vehicles. After receiving a citation for placing the sign on his truck, Cramer is now suing the borough, teaming up with the Institute for Justice to fight what he sees as a clear violation of his First Amendment rights.
“We put you in office as judges and state representatives to protect our rights,” Cramer told Fox News Digital. “And when we see things like giving people tickets for putting a for-sale sign in their car – violating our First Amendment right – it’s sad.”
Cramer, who lived in Nazareth for over 40 years, decided to retire in December 2023 and spend a year teaching English in the Philippines. As he prepared for his overseas adventure, he planned to sell off some of his belongings, including his old Chevy truck. Unable to find any interested buyers through online listings, Cramer opted to take a more traditional approach and placed a for-sale sign in the window of the parked vehicle.
But just a few days later, Cramer discovered a citation on his truck, informing him that he had violated the borough’s ordinance prohibiting the display of for-sale signs on legally parked cars.
“When I pulled the ticket out from underneath the windshield wiper blade and I looked at it, I was actually receiving a ticket for putting a ‘for sale’ sign and then advertising my car for sale,” Cramer recounted. “I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t mad, I was just trying to take it in.”
Perplexed by the citation, Cramer immediately removed the sign and began parking the truck on his lawn, since his home doesn’t have a driveway. Fortunately, he was able to sell the old Chevy to someone who had seen the sign before it was taken down.
In the rush to finalize his arrangements for the move to the Philippines, Cramer initially opted to simply pay the ticket and be done with it. But a little over a week later, he received a nasty surprise – his check had been returned, with additional late fees tacked on.
“At this point I got kind of angry because I thought it was bad enough that they violated my freedom of speech,” Cramer said. “Now they want more money because they didn’t get the ticket exactly on the date that they needed it.”
Determined to fight back, Cramer began researching similar First Amendment cases and reaching out to individuals involved in legal battles against local governments. He decided to plead not guilty to the citation and represent himself in magistrate’s court, but ultimately was convicted and required to pay $123.75 in fines and court costs.
Rather than accept defeat, Cramer has now teamed up with the Institute for Justice to file a lawsuit against the borough of Nazareth. The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction prohibiting the enforcement of the ordinance “against a traditional, low-cost, and effective form of personal commercial speech.”
“I really can’t think of a good reason why Nazareth has this policy in place,” Cramer said. “I’m not quite sure why they would be so concerned about a car with the sign in the window.”
The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm that specializes in championing individual liberties, agrees that Nazareth’s ordinance is a clear violation of the First Amendment.
“The government can’t ban people from putting ‘for sale’ signs on their legally parked cars,” said Institute for Justice Attorney Jaimie Cavanaugh. “That’s a quintessential form of personal commercial speech that the First Amendment protects.”
Cavanaugh believes Cramer’s case could have significant implications beyond just the small borough of Nazareth.
“This isn’t just about one man and his truck,” she said. “It’s about protecting the rights of all Americans to engage in this traditional and effective form of speech. We hope this lawsuit will send a strong message to other local governments that they can’t trample on the First Amendment.”
As for Cramer, he’s determined to see this fight through, even as he prepares to embark on his teaching adventure in the Philippines. He knows that the stakes are high, not just for him, but for all citizens who value their constitutional rights.
“We put you in office as judges and state representatives to protect our rights,” Cramer reiterated. “And when we see things like giving people tickets for putting a for-sale sign in their car – violating our First Amendment right – it’s sad.”
Whether the borough of Nazareth will back down in the face of this legal challenge remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Will Cramer is not going down without a fight.
“I’m not quite sure why they would be so concerned about a car with the sign in the window,” Cramer said. “But I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they can’t do this to anyone else.”