Communist America: Homeowners Ass. orders woman to take down Support the Troops sign

[insein]

What is the deal with HO Ass's? Do they own the land? Do they own the house? Are people leasing the land and house from them? If not then wh ydo they have authority over other people's property? I know that they present a contract to the people before living in a community but how is that legal? This is all bullshit. Homeowners Ass's in general are Bullshit.

http://www.tampatrib.com/MGBY9HYLKKE.html

It's A War Of Words
By JULIE PACE [email protected]
Published: Mar 9, 2006

TAMPA - Before David Kelley went to Iraq, he bought his wife a "Support Our Troops" sign to display outside the couple's home in the Westchase subdivision.

When Kelley, an Army private, went overseas in November, Stacey Kelley posted the sign outside their home. For her, the sign is a daily reminder of the sacrifice her husband and fellow soldiers are making.

But officials of Westchase, in northwest Hillsborough County, view the sign differently. They say the 2-foot-high sign violates community rules. Stacey Kelley, 24, received a letter from the homeowners association last month stating she could be fined $100 a day if she does not remove the sign.

"I've been crying and everything since I got that," she said. "It's ridiculous that no one can even show their support."

Deed restrictions prohibit Westchase residents from displaying signs outside their homes except "for sale" or "for rent" notices. Residents get a copy of the rules when they move into the community.

Stacey Kelley, who has lived in the gated Stonebridge neighborhood in Westchase for about five years, said she hasn't received complaints from other residents since putting up the sign more than three months ago.

The red, white and blue ribbon-shaped sign sits back from the street, next to the Kelleys' garage. Inside the house is a room filled with photographs and memorabilia David Kelley, 24, has sent home.

Displaying the sign and photographs is one of the ways Stacey Kelley stays connected to her husband during his two-year tour of duty, she said.

During their rare telephone conversations, Stacey Kelley said, she makes sure to tell her husband about the other signs, bumper stickers and symbols of support she sees.

"If we're showing any kind of support to them, I know they love it so much," she said. "They should never be forgotten."

One person who does understand the significance of the sign, both for Stacey Kelley and the troops, is Westchase homeowners association President Daryl Manning.

As the community's elected leader, Manning must enforce community standards, but as an Army reservist who served in Iraq, Manning is sympathetic to the Kelleys' situation.

"This sign is not offensive to me," Manning said. "In fact, I appreciate the support of the community, because I was one of those troops."

Manning said his personal feelings can't be allowed to trump his responsibility to the community. If Stacey Kelley is allowed to keep her sign, Manning said, there's nothing to prevent other residents from putting up signs that have negative messages about the troops.

Pat Gross, who lives across the street from the Kelleys, walks by the sign every day and says it hasn't stirred political debate in the community. If the association ever were to consider making an exception to its rule, Gross said, this would be the time.

The rule "is there for a reason, but sometimes the reason doesn't make sense," he said.

Neighbor Barbara Mulvihill said the association should be celebrating the sacrifice one of its residents is making, not creating problems for his wife.

"He's fighting for us, all of us," Mulvihill said.

Manning said the homeowners association will address the issue tonight at its monthly board meeting. The board could decide not to fine the Kelleys. Even so, Manning said, the sign likely will have to go.

Stacey Kelley, who plans to attend the meeting, said she's going to follow the advice her husband gave during their last conversation. "He said even if it comes down to paying the fines, he doesn't want to take it down."

So if no one is offended, where is the fucking problem? Just another example of Communists trying to tell people what to do with their land. Did i tell anyone that i hate Homeowners Ass.'s?

me ------> :chains: <-------Homeowner's Associations

 

[Said1]

Carter's Habitat for Humanity has similar policies.

 

[dilloduck]

Carter's Habitat for Humanity has similar policies.

It would seem that you could live anywhere you wanted in America without being forced to give up your right to free speech.

 

[5stringJeff]

If I were the lady in the story, I'd stick to my guns.

If I was the Homeowner's Ass. President, I'd just refuse to enforce the fine. It sounds like he's sympathetic.

 

[GotZoom]

I am on our Homeowners Association and on the Architectural Review Committee for my subdivision.

Main reason we have an HOA is because we have over 93 acres of common land (forest, parks, lakes) that need to be maintained. Other primary reasons for HOAs (not just ours) is to make sure the homes are kept up, not painted pink, etc..which will effect property values.

I agree that this is ridiculous..she should be allowed to display that. But I also understand how if this is allowed, other things could be allowed.

I, personally, don't want to see an anti-war sign in someone's yard. I don't want to see a I LOVE PORN sign in someone's yard either.

But if you allow a Support the Troops..you have to allow those.

You know...she could easily put it at the window inside her house or even tie a yellow ribbon around her tree.

I am pretty sure there isn't a covenant that forbids that. I know there isn't one in ours and we have many, many trees with yellow ribbons.

 

[Said1]

It would seem that you could live anywhere you wanted in America without being forced to give up your right to free speech.

I'm speaking about those who live in Canadian Habitat homes. What they do is subjected to the people who run Habitat in this city, they can take your home for any number of trivial reasons if you don't comply with what they say. I would presume this is the norm almost everywhere. You can't even pave your drive way without asking first.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

At the very least, the HOA could have just waited until a negative sign got put up to make a stink about it...

 

[theHawk]

I hate HOA. I'm soooo glad I don't have one where I live now

No offense to this lady, but they DID agree to those rules when they moved in. They should had moved into a neighborhood without a freakin HOA. :spank3:

 

[insein]

somebody explain to me how a HOA can legally do this? Do they own the land? If not how is it that a private org can dictate what you can and cant do with your land regardless of you deciding to live there or not?

 

[007]

You know the rules when you move into these places. My advice... don't move into a neighborhood with a HOA. I think they stink, but I can see where some might just love them. Either way, you won't catch me in one.

 

[musicman]

At the very least, the HOA could have just waited until a negative sign got put up to make a stink about it...

I agree with you, and also with gop_jeff:

"If I was the Homeowner's Ass. President, I'd just refuse to enforce the fine. It sounds like he's sympathetic."

Something don't smell right. Sounds like somebody in the association finds support for our troops distasteful, but doesn't have the stones to lodge a formal complaint - preferring instead to quietly hide behind "it's just the rules". In a saner day and age, this would have been laughed off. "Force a serviceman's wife to TAKE DOWN a sign saying 'Support Our Troops'? Yeah, right - as soon as I eat this apple". But we're no longer living in sane times.