Posted on 09/01/2010 4:01:08 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
LAVEEN, Ariz. — Don’t tread on Andy C. McDonel.
This year, Mr. McDonel began flying a yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag on his roof in this unincorporated area just outside Phoenix. The historic banner — which dates to 1775, when it was hoisted aboard ships during the initial days of the Revolutionary War — has been adopted by the Tea Party movement. But Mr. McDonel said that he had unfurled the flag for its historical significance and nothing else.
He notes that the banner, the Gadsden flag, has been widely used over the years and was even featured on the cover of a rock album. “Am I a Metallica fan because I’m using the flag?” he asked.
This month, he received a letter from the homeowners’ association ordering him to remove “the debris” from his roof. It threatened fines if the debris (i.e., the flag) did not go within 10 days. But Mr. McDonel, 32, a logistics operation manager, has vowed to fight the order.
“It’s a patriotic gesture,” he said of his banner. “It’s a historic military flag. It represents the founding fathers. It shows this nation was born out of an idea.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Never ever buy a home with a active home owners association.
You sign away your basic property rights the day you do.
I would have replied, “Sir, you have been misinformed. My home does not have debris.”
If they pushed it, I would fight them. To paraphrase Charlie Daniels who was talking about the stars and stripe but it still applies, ‘This ain’t no rag! It’s the flag! And it stands for the US of A!’
Usually all you're signing away is your "right" to be a nuisance to others.
Seems to me that when and if any citizen knowingly or unknowingly signs away his/her Constitutional rights it ought to be regarded as null and void by any court of law, and/or any other citizen, group or organization.
If we have God-given rights they are rights forever; else they were never rights to begin with.
This shell game has gotta cease at some point.
The Gadsden flag is tied to the American Revolution — not the Tea Party.
“the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona jumped in on Mr. McDonel’s side”
Well whadda ya know?
Home Owners Associations: the wrong way to go!
Tell them you’re an illegal alien - they’ll apologize and give you free stuff.
Wow, the ACLU is backing the guy! Good for them but I figure its the Blind Squirrel/Nut situation with them this time.
Last weekend at the Restoring Honor rally, there was a black kid street vendor selling the Gadsden flags and buttons. He was saying “Don’t trend on me” as his advertising pitch.
I thought the artilce said exactly that. Stating its from 1775 BUT been adopted by the "Tea Party" movement which is true.
Did he read all the covenants and deed restrictions that were part of his “homeowners association” agreement that he signed when he closed on the purchase of his property?
While I can support this guy in terms of his sentiments, he may have signed-away some of his ability to do some things his way, on his own property, when he bought it.
I once bought a property north of Houston many years ago, in a five-year-old neighborhood. That purchase included a neighborhood “homeowners association” and a legal agreement to become part of that association, along with deed restrictions that governed the role of that association.
One thing we liked about the property was that in spite of the fact that it was in a “tract” neighborhood, the back of the lot bordered on a fifty acre parcel that had been purchased by a private outfit for a perpetual nature preserve - meaning it was also an undeveloped and tree covered space and always would be.
When we went to fence in our property we did not know we would have to go to court to build the fence we wanted and that when we did we would lose.
The homeowners association fence standards mandated that only one single type of fence was “legal” for any home in the development. That one type of fence was a six-foot high wooden “stake” fence. We wanted to use chain-link fencing across the back of the lot, to keep the open view of the nature preserve behind us. We lost.
I nearly ran into legal trouble when I removed two palm trees from the front of the house, because they would one day be twenty to thirty feet high and were planted no more than a couple feet from the front wall of the house. I had failed to ask anyone’s permission.
Good thing Obama and Sebilus didn't send in their Purple-Shirted SEIU Union thugs or this enterprising young man would have been "Reeducated" the Chicago way...
Never ever buy a home with a active home owners association.
You sign away your basic property rights the day you do
*****************************************************
I live in a community with a VERY active HOA...and I’ve been flying my yellow “Don’t Tread On Me” flag on and off since the oBumma was elected. Point being all board members are conservatives.
I think that’s sound advice. You also have very little control over association fees.
You are in a HOA and there is a reason certain people like being one. Community standards.
Would it be okay if your neighbor built a mini-mosque or minaret in his backyard, that towered over your fenceline?
Appreciate the emotion but take the flag off your roof.
“Usually all you’re signing away is your “right” to be a nuisance to others. “
Not really. The biggest nuisance is usually the HOA. Little hitlers on power trips.
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