Decorated Veteran, 90, Fights to Raise Flag in His Yard

Fox News ^ | Thursday, December 03, 2009 | The Associated Press contributed to this report

[Mrs. Frogjerk]

A veteran of three wars who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor is now facing an unlikely enemy — his neighbors.

Col. Van T. Barfoot, 90, has raised the Stars and Stripes every day at sunrise and lowered them every day at sunset since he served in the U.S. Army. But on Tuesday he received a letter from the law firm that represents his homeowners' association, ordering him to remove the flagpole from his Richmond, Va. yard by 5 p.m. on Friday or face "legal action."

[af_vet_rr]

Many HOAs are breeding grounds for Control Freak Liberal Elite types, beware the nosy neighbor.

Like a friend said, homeowners associations are for closet socialists who can't get enough government in their lives.

I've heard people defend them and talk about property values, but if you actually lived in a desirable area you don't need an HOA to keep your property values up.

[af_vet_rr]

Many HOAs are breeding grounds for Control Freak Liberal Elite types, beware the nosy neighbor.

Like a friend said, homeowners associations are for closet socialists who can't get enough government in their lives.

I've heard people defend them and talk about property values, but if you actually lived in a desirable area you don't need an HOA to keep your property values up. I had to deal with what amounts to government run HOAs when we lived on military bases and I'm just gonna stay the hell away from anything similar in civilian life.

[af_vet_rr]

The restrictions are created by a single private property owner (the developer) because he believes that people will pay more for some semblance of control and conformity.

I don't understand why anybody would ever want conformity, especially conservatives. I see these subdivisions that are made up of street after street of perhaps 5-10 different house layouts all using 3-4 different paint schemes and it just reminds of something you'd see in China.

No purple houses, junkers in the front yard,

There is a purple house on my block and it's not uncommon for people to park in their front yards as circumstances dictate. We're even allowed to raise chickens for eggs/meat. I live in a city and my property value has more than doubled over the past decade. A 1,000 square foot house sells for well over $275,000 these days, and at one point before the bubble burst a few years ago, $350,000 was not uncommon.

I’d love to see photos of the yards and neighborhoods of the Freepers who swear they’d never live under CC&Rs.

I let my yard turn brown every summer. Hasn't bothered my property value.

In fact, I wish property values in our neighborhood would start dropping - we keep having to pay more and more property taxes as the various taxing entities raise them as much as they are able to do so. I wouldn't care if I had only planned to stick around a few years and cash in on the difference, but this plus our cabin out in West Texas is going to be the last home we buy.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I don’t understand why anybody would ever want conformity...

There is a purple house on my block and it’s not uncommon for people to park in their front yards as circumstances dictate. We’re even allowed to raise chickens for eggs/meat...I let my yard turn brown every summer.

---

I rest my case.

[af_vet_rr]

I rest my case.

Homes on my street have doubled and tripled in price in the last 10 years without the need for a bunch of closet socialists ready to whip out their rulers to see if my grass is too high or ready to whip out color charts to see if my paint is the wrong shade, so I rest my case. It actually pisses me off because the values have continued to go up, which means the taxes continue to go up. If I thought my property value would go down, and therefore my taxes, you better believe I'd be parking in the yard everyday.

It comes down to location - if you're in a good location, your property values are going to stay high or increase no matter what color you paint your house or if you xeriscape your lawn. That's the whole point of a being in a desirable location versus a crappy location that a developer tries to make desirable, or tries to convince you is desirable.

If you are living in one of these subdivisions that requires an HOA in order to prop up your property values, or at least you think it props up the property values, it's only a matter of time until somebody puts in a slightly better subdivision down the road or your subdivision gets old which will cause your subdivision to start dropping in value. I've seen this happen plenty of times with people I know in the Houston area.

As for the conformity aspect, it still amazes me how many conservatives talk about individualism and then go home to tract housing.

[handy old one]

If he wants to fly a one hundred foot flag pole that would be fine with me he should be ok because he is an American!!

[kinsman redeemer]

Oh, By the way, Coates & Davenport, P.C. (800) 450-8311 (I suggest calling!) says,

Statement from the Sussex Square Homeowners Association Dec. 3, 2009

The Sussex Square Homeowners Association never intended its request that Col. Barfoot remove his flag pole as an affront to his patriotism.

This is not about the American flag. This is about a flag pole. And Col. Barfoot is not being forbidden from displaying an American flag.

With its request that he remove the flag pole, the association was discharging its duty to all the owners in the neighborhood. The association's position has merit and is supported by its Bylaws, Rules and Declaration of Restrictions and Covenants.

The association is optimistic that this matter can be resolved in a way that is mutually satisfactory to all parties and looks forward to Senator Mark Warner's involvement toward that end.

Anyone who wishes to offer comments may do so at colbarfootsflagpole@gmail.com

Thank you,

Coates & Davenport

Richmond, Virginia

The phoney email address at the end could have been "round_file@gmail.com" - So I suggest calling:
(800) 450-8311
Also the "Contact Us" link takes you to a form that works. That's a good alternative. The domain of the email address field must be legitimate - but that's all.