HOAs Cannot Bar Display Of The American Flag. Thank You President Bush!

[GotZoom]

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Monday signed a bill that would bar condominium and homeowner associations from restricting how the American flag can be displayed.

Sponsored by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., the resolution would prohibit those groups from preventing residents from displaying an American flag on their own property.

It was passed unanimously by both the House and the Senate.

"Americans have long flown our flag as an expression of their appreciation for our freedoms and their pride in our nation," Bush said in a statement. "As our brave men and women continue to fight to protect our country overseas, Congress has passed an important measure to protect our citizens right to express their patriotism here at home without burdensome restrictions.

 

[CockySOB]

Boo-yah!!!

 

[dmp]

Awesome!

 

[Dr Grump]

It's stupid for HOA's not allow their residents to display a flag, yet aren't conservatives the ones always spouting that the govt should stay out of peoples' business??

 

[Bonnie]

It's stupid for HOA's not allow their residents to display a flag, yet aren't conservatives the ones always spouting that the govt should stay out of peoples' business??

HOA"s although made up of people are an association that needed to be superceded in order for the individual to practice their freedom of speech rights on their own property. So it looks to me like this is exactly in keeping with a conservative philosophy.

 

[Dr Grump]

HOA"s although made up of people are an association that needed to be superceded in order for the individual to practice their freedom of speech rights on their own property. So it looks to me like this is exactly in keeping with a conservative philosophy.

Couldn't the home owner just find a place where the HOA's are flag-friendly? You'd think that the govt got better things/more important things to worry about?

 

[theHawk]

It's stupid for HOA's not allow their residents to display a flag, yet aren't conservatives the ones always spouting that the govt should stay out of peoples' business??

Its the HOA are sticking their noses into people's 'business' where it doesn't belong. And they are not an elected form of government.

 

[misterblu]

Its the HOA are sticking their noses into people's 'business' where it doesn't belong. And they are not an elected form of government.

That's the exact, and only purpose, of a HOA. I wish they were outlawed altogether.

You should be able to do what you like with your property as long as it doesn't endanger others.

 

[Bonnie]

Couldn't the home owner just find a place where the HOA's are flag-friendly? You'd think that the govt got better things/more important things to worry about?

Your suggesting the homeowner sell his condo and look for a HOA that is flag friendly??? That is a pretty sad statement of affairs in the U.S if it's actually come to that
Also does not address the problem long term as one can move into a development that is flag happy only to have the HOA nazis change their minds at the next monthly meeting.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Couldn't the home owner just find a place where the HOA's are flag-friendly? You'd think that the govt got better things/more important things to worry about?

If you wish to remain an American there's a line you just don't cross.

What are you...an American...or one of the enemy within our borders?

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Your suggesting the homeowner sell his condo and look for a HOA that is flag friendly??? That is a pretty sad statement of affairs in the U.S if it's actually come to that
Also does not address the problem long term as one can move into a development that is flag happy only to have the HOA nazis change their minds at the next monthly meeting.

I think what he's suggesting is that you should check out the HOA pretty thouroughly before you move in. As for the second half, you can't change HOA policies like a dictatorship. Most require notice to be sent out and then discussion/vote at the next meeting. If it's HOA policy that any policy can just be up and changed without your input, then that's probably an HOA you'd wanna avoid in the first place.

It's good that you're allowed to fly an American flag wherever you want. But what if you wanted to fly a million of them all over your lawn? There is a line where your right to do whatever you want to your property overlaps your neighbors right to not have their property value tank because you wanna fly a million flags.

HOA's exist to keep property values up. The trade-off is not having total say over what you can do to your property. Don't like it? Then take a bigger risk on the stability of your property value and move to a HOA-free zone.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

I think what he's suggesting is that you should check out the HOA pretty thouroughly before you move in. As for the second half, you can't change HOA policies like a dictatorship. Most require notice to be sent out and then discussion/vote at the next meeting. If it's HOA policy that any policy can just be up and changed without your input, then that's probably an HOA you'd wanna avoid in the first place.

It's good that you're allowed to fly an American flag wherever you want. But what if you wanted to fly a million of them all over your lawn? There is a line where your right to do whatever you want to your property overlaps your neighbors right to not have their property value tank because you wanna fly a million flags.

HOA's exist to keep property values up. The trade-off is not having total say over what you can do to your property. Don't like it? Then take a bigger risk on the stability of your property value and move to a HOA-free zone.

How 'bout you move to an America-free zone?

 

[Bonnie]

I think what he's suggesting is that you should check out the HOA pretty thouroughly before you move in. As for the second half, you can't change HOA policies like a dictatorship. Most require notice to be sent out and then discussion/vote at the next meeting. If it's HOA policy that any policy can just be up and changed without your input, then that's probably an HOA you'd wanna avoid in the first place.

It's good that you're allowed to fly an American flag wherever you want. But what if you wanted to fly a million of them all over your lawn? There is a line where your right to do whatever you want to your property overlaps your neighbors right to not have their property value tank because you wanna fly a million flags.

HOA's exist to keep property values up. The trade-off is not having total say over what you can do to your property. Don't like it? Then take a bigger risk on the stability of your property value and move to a HOA-free zone.

I have an HOA that does change policy at whim, sure they send out notices etc, but that's after the fact. Fortunately they as a body are not restrictive regarding flag flying mostly due to those that show up at the Wednesday night meetings who are vocal about things like that. In theory I think it is a good idea to have some collective body running the daily operations of an association ie garbage collection, snow removal, landscaping and lawncare, pool maintenance etc, as these things need financial monitoring. Common sense tells people that they shouldn't fly 20 flags or ten thousand flags, that one suffices. No one in my complex abuses that as everyone has a stake in the value of their property. It crosses the line when an HOA tells everyone no flag flying period becasue of the one who flies two or more, (which I have yet to ever see btw). What I do see is a few that pile pots and pans, and clothes on their balconies and decks which does make the place look like a slum and to me does drive property values down.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Not long after 9/11, I saw a property owner in a minority section of the city interviewed on TV. She had told her tenant to take down an American flag she had put up, and the tenant advised the local media.

When the reporter asked her why she felt that the flag should be taken down, her response was, "I don't want to look like I am taking sides." !!!!

My thinking changed that day. Forever.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I have an HOA that does change policy at whim, sure they send out notices etc, but that's after the fact. Fortunately they as a body are not restrictive regarding flag flying mostly due to those that show up at the Wednesday night meetings who are vocal about things like that. In theory I think it is a good idea to have some collective body running the daily operations of an association ie garbage collection, snow removal, landscaping and lawncare, pool maintenance etc, as these things need financial monitoring. Common sense tells people that they shouldn't fly 20 flags or ten thousand flags, that one suffices. No one in my complex abuses that as everyone has a stake in the value of their property. It crosses the line when an HOA tells everyone no flag flying period becasue of the one who flies two or more, (which I have yet to ever see btw). What I do see is a few that pile pots and pans, and clothes on their balconies and decks which does make the place look like a slum and to me does drive property values down.

How do you become a HOA boardmember?

 

[The ClayTaurus]

How 'bout you move to an America-free zone?

Where the fuck in my post did you get I was anti-American?

 

[Bonnie]

How do you become a HOA boardmember?

Elections.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Elections.

Exactly. You have control over what happens in your HOA. If you were so unhappy as to HOA policy I'm sure you could run yourself, right?

My point was that I doubt someone could move into a flag-friendly neighborhood only to have it switched to a flag-unfriendly neighborhood and have no recourse. I'm sure if you really wanted, you could even become a board member and change the charter so that all policy changes must be held to a public vote, if they're not already.

At the end of the day, you're not forced to live in an HOA. Just like if you don't like all the extra government of being in a big city you should move to the country. It sounds to me like a lot of people like the financial security an HOA brings to their property, so long as it doesn't ever interfere on what they want to do to their property.

Should you be allowed to fly a flag at your home? Absolutely. I have no problem with the resolution or whatever the thing was. But everyone gets all uppity about HOA's telling people what they can and can't do to their property when that's the very reason they exist. To keep you from negatively affecting other's property values, and to keep them from doing the same to yours. People, like always, just want it both ways.

If you wanted your HOA to just be responsible for maintaining common areas and have no say over someone's private property, then you should run for board yourself and work on implementing that change!

 

[GotZoom]

I'm a member of our HOA (and the Architectural Review Committee). We are elected once a year at the annual meeting. We can't change covenants without a vote of at least 80% of the homeowners in the subdivision.

As to the ARC, those policies can be changed with a meeting of the ARC and the HOA.

I am a firm believer and supporter of HOA/ARCs. Providing they remember why they are in place. Enforce the covenants and polices as to things that have an influence on property appearance and values.

The HOAs who have problems with an American Flag are not one of these; they are following a different agenda. Obviously the members of the board have a problem with the policies of the country or a personal problem with the homeowner. They are just using the flag as their way to throw their weight around.

Trust me. There are many rules and policies that aren't enforced on a daily basis. Example: You must get approval to make any change to the appearance of your home. That includes displays (signs, etc) in your front yard. When Christmas comes, we don't enforce it. When it's time to vote and people put political signs in their yard, we don't enforce it.

 

[misterblu]

You should be able to do whatever you want with your property, within the boundaries of the laws of your city/ county/ state/ country.

Limiting what people can do on their property, for financial reasons, is bullshit.

I, for one, don't care if my neighbor wants to paint his house purple with green polka-dots. So be it. I may not like it, but it's his property.

I avoid HOAs like the plague.

Exactly. You have control over what happens in your HOA. If you were so unhappy as to HOA policy I'm sure you could run yourself, right?

My point was that I doubt someone could move into a flag-friendly neighborhood only to have it switched to a flag-unfriendly neighborhood and have no recourse. I'm sure if you really wanted, you could even become a board member and change the charter so that all policy changes must be held to a public vote, if they're not already.

At the end of the day, you're not forced to live in an HOA. Just like if you don't like all the extra government of being in a big city you should move to the country. It sounds to me like a lot of people like the financial security an HOA brings to their property, so long as it doesn't ever interfere on what they want to do to their property.

Should you be allowed to fly a flag at your home? Absolutely. I have no problem with the resolution or whatever the thing was. But everyone gets all uppity about HOA's telling people what they can and can't do to their property when that's the very reason they exist. To keep you from negatively affecting other's property values, and to keep them from doing the same to yours. People, like always, just want it both ways.

If you wanted your HOA to just be responsible for maintaining common areas and have no say over someone's private property, then you should run for board yourself and work on implementing that change!