Woman In Trouble For Flying American Flag In Neighborhood

ThePittsburghChannel, WTAE-TV ^ | 07/01/2008 | NA

[prisoner6]

Woman In Trouble For Flying American Flag In Neighborhood

ROBINSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A local member of the Air National Guard is in trouble with her condominium complex for what she says is a show of patriotism.

Master Sgt. Denise James has been fighting her condo association over the right to fly an American flag. She lives in a condo complex on Kenzie Drive in Robinson Township.

On Memorial Day, she put up small American flags in her yard to honor past and present veterans. As July 4 approaches, she is still flying the flags, but her condo association says that is against rules to place a display in common areas.

[prisoner6]

Condo association is suing for $1,000!

Here's the link to the entire story complete with video goodness.thePittsburghChannel

prisoner6

[Huntress]

This kind of stuff is why I avoid properties with homeowners’ or condo associations. The leadership positions in these organizations attract a disproportionate number of control freak busybody types who have nothing better to do than tell their neighbors whether they can fly a flag, what kind of flowers they can plant, what color they can paint their front doors, or other such things.

[goldstategop]

As a rule, you can't do anything in a common area without the consent of the condo association. There are rules on what you can do there. In your home area, you can do what you please.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[goldstategop]

To maintain a uniform external appearance, changes are not allowed unless every one agrees to make them. If you like doing your own thing and not answering to others, you're better off living in a traditional single family home.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[ketelone]

The rules are the rules. Dont see why she cant use her private space to fly her flag like most everyone else does.

[coconutt2000]

According to the article, the flag is planted on “her” front yard, and it is small and I would consider tasteful.

If the association is going to make a big deal out of this, she should seek to have the association amend the rules for display of flags for allowances of number, size, and distance from the front door. It sounds anal, but that’s probably all the association control freaks want... a little bit of control.

[MichiganCheese]

This is what hall monitors do when they grow up.

[gridlock]

This is the rule. If she displays flags this week, she can’t object when her neighbor decides to display Code Pink banners next week.

If you don’t like it, don’t buy a property that subjects you to this type of regulation. I know I never would.

[TSgt]

People look at my funny when I tell them I’m looking for about 50 acres to build a log home.

This is one reason why. My existing neighbors are another reason.

Note: I do not live in a subdivision

[DemonDeac]

I hate condo and neighborhood associations. I hate being told what color to paint my door, what kinds of decorations I can have, etc. Thats why I don’t live in a place that restrictive.

[DemonDeac]

“This kind of stuff is why I avoid properties with homeowners’ or condo associations. The leadership positions in these organizations attract a disproportionate number of control freak busybody types who have nothing better to do than tell their neighbors whether they can fly a flag, what kind of flowers they can plant, what color they can paint their front doors, or other such things.”

My mother is getting on in years and lives in a place like that. They literally had a guy from the board stepping into peoples yards with a digital camera snapping pictures of any kinds of statuary and flower pots. Virtually everything in that neighborhood seems to be illegal.

[sergeantdave]

Home owner associations are excellent vehicles for control freaks who want to zone how many angels may dance on a pin in your front yard.

Like-minded people band together, set the rules and invite you to join them, by signing a contract, to obey those rules. I have no problem with this. It is voluntary and you may leave at anytime.

I much prefer this type of voluntary contractual arrangement as opposed to the government fascists forcing zoning on unwilling residents at the point of a gun.

Zoning is fascism under a different name.

[george76]

Flying the American Flag in HOAs

With Memorial Day, Flag Day and the 4th of July fast approaching, associations in Colorado should be aware that the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (”CCIOA”) prohibits associations from banning homeowners from displaying the American flag on the homeowner’s property, in a window or on an adjoining balcony. However, Colorado does permit associations to adopt reasonable rules regulating the placement and manner of displaying the flag, including regulating the size and location of flags and flagpoles.

Associations should be careful to ensure that rules regulating the display of the American flag are reasonable and do not effectively prohibit the ability of residents to express their patriotism.

http://www.hoalegislate.com/

May 19, 2008

[Huntress]

If you like doing your own thing and not answering to others, you're better off living in a traditional single family home.

That would be me, and that's what I've done. And I have a very traditional, ordinary-looking house.

[kenth]

People look at my funny when I tell them I’m looking for about 50 acres to build a log home.

---

Smack dab in the center of it too, is where I’d build. That would be a dream.

[TSgt]

We think alike!

Someone once said, “Buy land, they are not making anymore of it.”

[prisoner6]

Make that three. Now that our youngest is through high school, Wife and I are looking to do the same thing. Heck I'll settle for a double wide as long as it's in the middle of the land.

FWIW here's a link to some of hte cabins I've been lloking at. Cabin Kit homes

We don't want a big one...maybe 2 bedroom though.

prisoner6

[Stonewall Jackson]

When my great-uncle got home from World War Two (he was a surgeon in the Navy and took part in every Marine landing in the Pacific), he bought one square mile of land in Alabama, had his house put in the middle and his office at the entrance. His housekeeper bought his groceries and he bought his clothes and furnishings through mail-order catalogs. He never left his property until the day he died.

I'm not quite that bad, but I'd still love to have 150-200 acres out in the middle of absolute nowhere so that I can hunt and fish in peace or simply take a walk in the woods without running into somebody.

[Clemenza]

The issue is, once they allow one flag, they will have to allow them all (confederate battle, Jamaican, Mexican, etc.).

Very common in immigrant areas of the NE United States, especially during the world cup/America's cup is the flying of national flags from row house/tenement windows along with one's favorite soccer team flag.

My question to all of you is this: would it be OK if we allow this woman to fly old glory, and, by right, allow others to fly national flags of other countries, or the flags of war losing pseudo-countries like the confederacy?

[Grizzled Bear]

This ain’t kindergarten. We don’t have to be “fair.”