Posted on 05/30/2025 8:08:13 PM PDT by george76
A community in Florida is rallying around a disabled veteran after the homeowners association told him he had to take down an American flag on a flag pole in his yard.
What are the people in the homeowners association even thinking? Who tells a disabled veteran to take down the flag that he fought for and became disabled defending? Shame on these people.
They even filed a lawsuit over this.
....
Disabled veteran fights homeowners association lawsuit over flagpole in Florida yard
A disabled veteran in Volusia County, Florida, is at the center of a heated dispute with his homeowners association (HOA) over a flagpole installed in his yard.
According to Fox News affiliate WOFL-TV, the Countryside Villas PUD3 HOA has filed a lawsuit against the unnamed veteran, claiming he failed to obtain the required approval before erecting the permanent structure.
Despite the legal friction, community support for the veteran has surged, with neighbors speaking out against what they see as harassment and unnecessary litigation.
“Leave the veteran alone. He hasn’t done anything wrong,” Frank Johnson, a veteran himself, told the outlet. “He’s called me crying that they’re harassing him and bullying him. He’s served this country. He’s paid his dues. They wanted to get him on a flagpole and some weeds in the lawn. It’s pathetic. It’s really pathetic.”…
The situation only escalated when the veteran refused to remove the flagpole, accruing $1,000 in fines. The HOA responded by initiating a lawsuit for $8,000 and threatening to place a lien on his property.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a veteran. Someone needs to call his office and ask him to intervene in this situation. He has a very good record of standing up to woke BS like this and would be a valuable ally in this fight. Make the members of the homeowners association famous.
Get rid of the HOA. They are like an invasive species.
HOAs almost always lose First Amendment cases.
But their egos are so big that they incapable of admitting that they were wrong so they keep pizzing away the home”owners” rent aka HOA dues.
Un”freakin”believable!
I remember when an elementary school agreed to remove American flags because they made the illegal aliens feel uncomfortable and it distracted them from learning.
Old Glory seems to be upsetting people——in OUR-—country.
If we move to Iran or Syria can we expect Easter and Christmas off and having a cross in the office on the walls?
” an elementary school agreed to remove American flags because they made the illegal aliens feel uncomfortable “
Much like the charity quilts our group made to donate to the children’s hospital. At Christmas time, the hospital wouldn’t accept quilts with any hint of religion. They might make foreigners or non-Christians feel uncomfortable.
The kids could choose their own quilts. Nobody forced a heathen to take a quilt with Baby Jesus on it.
Mexican flags OK. Homo-pride flags OK. American flags not OK because it insults illegal aliens and America haters.
This is not a first amendment case.
There are covenants and restrictions that are attached to the land. Every owner agrees to abide by them.
Before making a change to the exterior of the home, the owner agrees to submit an architectural application and receive approval. He did not do so.
The community may also have prohibitions on flag poles or flags - any flags - even for veterans. Why? Because if you allow a veteran to fly their flag, you have given up the right to restrict flags. Swastika? Hamas battle flag? Pride flag? Too bad, they can all be put up.
If the association fails to enforce the restrictions, they can be sued under Fair Housing.
Texas property code allows the American flag, Texas flag, and branches of the military regardless of what the governing documents say. Florida should give their HOAs the same legal cover.
If only we could live in America.
Oh, wait.
We do. 😡
I had a lawyer who specializes in condominium law explain it to me years ago. He always advises HOA boards to enforce the rules over things like this strictly. His explanation made a lot of sense: “If you let one homeowner fly a Penn State flag in violation of the rules, you won’t have the legal authority to stop the one next door from flying a Nazi flag.”
HOAs are a blight.
He is not being fined for flying a flag. He is being fined for the flag pole.
The whole thing about HOAs is that when you move in you are told the rules. You agree to them. It’s his own damned fault.
I guess the HOA missed this, http://laws.flrules.org/2023/64
LAWS OF FLORID CH 2023-64
(b) Regardless of any covenants, restrictions, bylaws, rules, or requirements of the association, a Any homeowner may erect a freestanding flagpole no more than 20 feet high on any portion of the homeowner’s realproperty as long as, regardless of any covenants, restrictions, bylaws, rules,
or requirements of the association, if the flagpole does not obstruct sightlines
at intersections and is not erected within or upon an easement. The homeowner may further display in a respectful manner from that flagpole,regardless of any covenants, restrictions, bylaws, rules, or requirements of the association, one official United States flag, not larger than 41/2 feet by 6 feet, and may additionally display one other official flag permitted under paragraph (a) of the State of Florida or the United States Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marines, Space Force, or Coast Guard, or a POW-MIA flag. Such additional flag must be equal in size to or smaller than the United States
flag. The flagpole and display are subject to all building codes, zoning setbacks, and other applicable governmental regulations, including, but not
limited to, noise and lighting ordinances in the county or municipality in which the flagpole is erected and all setback and locational criteria contained in the governing documents.”
They finally agreed to the color when they read the info he'd originally submitted, that the color was precisely the same as the one he was replacing, however just a different brand.
Law, rule, or code enforcement quickly becomes a pariah to those it would rule over when it is applied in the absence of a generous helping of common sense.
NEVER buy a home with an HOA! I know I never would. Too many horror stories just like this.
The ultimate refuge of hall monitors and Covid Karens.
You dickweeds need to pencil whip it yourselves and stop harassing the old man.
HOA keeps my subdivision looking neat and clean. That keeps value of my property higher. HOA rules are beneficial. We display American flags on 4th of July and memorial Day etc. But we are not allowed to place a large flag pole in front yard. If people don’t like HOA rules, they can move.
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