[bobman0330]

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When I went out to lunch today at my favorite local Chinese hole, the owner, who is a naturalized citizen, asked me to look at her lease for her.

Basically, the lease states that the tenant has the right to place one sign on the exterior wall, subject to approval by the owner, and at the tenant's own expense. They did this when they first moved into the space.

However, a few months ago the owner of the shopping center did some exterior renovations, and took down their signage and has not returned it. It wouldn't go with the remodel. (The last sentence is my opinion.)

When she called the owner of the shopping center, he told her that she had to get a new sign and to call the sign company and that per her lease, it is at her expense. The sign company wants 5000 dollars for the new sign.

While she understood that she had to pay for the original sign, the owner initiated and desired the remodel (probably to help fill some vacant locations) and removed her sign that she was completely satisfied to keep. She doesn't think she should have to pay for the new sign.

Does she have any legal ground to require them to pay for some/all of her new sign costs?

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IANAL, but I think grand larceny is illegal in most states.