An Illinois woman says authorities are trying to force her to remove a September 11 memorial on her property that they claim is 'obsolete'.

Leigh Gardella-Wood lives with her family on the site of the former Spring Bluff Elementary School in Winthrop Harbor about 50 miles north of Chicago.

They have lived there since they bought the property in 2011 when the school shut down.

Gardella-Wood received a letter from the Winthrop Harbor Village last week ordering her to remove 'all obsolete signage' related to the elementary school and a 9/11 memorial currently on their property.

Leigh Gardella-Wood says she got a letter from officials in the Illinois town of Winthrop Harbor last week telling her to removed a 9/11 memorial boulder on her property

She has 14 days to remove the signage or risk a fine of up to $500 a day.

Gardella-Wood told NBC5 that the memorial rock was already on the property when they purchased it and that they asked officials to remove it within a year.

She claims said officials did not make any attempt to remove the boulder.

A local girl scout raised enough money in June 2012 for a plaque to be placed on the boulder that reads 'We Shall Never Forget' in dedication to those who died in the 9/11 attacks.

When officials tried to remove the memorial a few months later, Gardella-Wood said they faced uproar from local veterans and they decided to leave the memorial.

She received the letter from officials last week describing the memorial and signage related to the school as 'obsolete'.

Leigh Gardella-Wood lives with her family on the site of the former Spring Bluff Elementary School in Winthrop Harbor about 50 miles north of Chicago

Gardella-Wood received a letter from the Winthrop Harbor Village last week ordering her to remove 'all obsolete signage' related to the elementary school and a 9/11 memorial currently on their property

She received the letter from officials last week describing the memorial and signage related to the school as 'obsolete'

'I have never heard of a plaque being an issue. There are people who have plaques in their yard all over the place - it is not gawdy, it is not hurting anybody,' Gardella-Wood said.

'I don't know what to think because I don't understand what they are thinking. I don't understand how a community that is so close, that they would find a plaque or memorial obsolete.

'People worked really hard to have that put there. People died on 9/11. It's not something we can just forget. It is coming up - how do you forget that?'

The local Veterans of Foreign Wars have already pledged to host the memorial on their property if Gardella-Wood is forced to remove the memorial.

The mayor and village board have not yet commented on the memorial but are expected to discuss it at a town hall meeting on Tuesday night.