OK, fess up... which of y'all would have wanted the guy to take his flag down?

[BelleWDW]

Just an FYI- 21 feet is VERY tall-taller than a two story houe. maybe a had one of those giant flags like car dealers have-that would be an eyesore-dont care if he's retired military.

 

[Disney Doll]

HOAs are, for the most part, probably good because they keep the things like junked cars and old toilets out of peoples' yards.

In this case, this man flying this flag should have been excepted and I would have been angry that my HOA chose to use my HOA fee $ to fight it.

 

[BelleWDW]

ZBut an 10 foot pole would be more appropriate for a home-not 21 feet!!

 

[Kit'smommy]

Awe that's sad. I certainly wouldn't complain. Bless the man for his service.

 

[mhsjax]

LOL - I'll be the one!!!!!

I hate flagpoles in individual yards - I think they look tacky and out of place. Way too commercial a look for me in someone's front yard.

I LOVE people who fly American flags, though, and wish more people would do it. But I like the kind of small pole that is attached at an angle to a post or column on your front porch - not a big tall metal pole stuck in the ground. To my mind, those are for commercial properties, not private homes.

I'm in favor of most homeowner and neighborhood restrictions. I don't want to see your laundry drying in the backyard when I drive by!!

Amen to the laundry, I don't know why people feel the need to hang it out on the line, TACKY, IMHO

 

[luvmy3]

I know where he could put that flag pole after he is forced to take it down

 

[happygirl]

Amen to the laundry, I don't know why people feel the need to hang it out on the line, TACKY, IMHO

You do realize that not everyone is lucky enough to be able to own a dryer and can't afford the laundry mat.

I hate nosy people who think they have the right to tell the people what they can and can't have in there own property. If they don't like what people have in there yard look the other way.

 

[Hercules10]

Medal of Honor winner or not he knew the rules when he moved in and chose to violate them.

It would be one thing if he went to his HOA and presented his case and asked for a waiver (which he probably would've gotten). But to violate the rules then use his service record to make the association look like the bad guys just festered the problem.

 

[eliza61]

A flagpole? Oh wow, that's sad. People need to get over it and start minding their own business.

When I get my house with a nice backyard, I plan on putting a big 'ol green pipe in the backyard with a big plumber eating plant popping out of it. Flagpole? Gosh, way to be normal.

When you move into a development with a homeowners association the look of your property is their business.

I would request he take it down. I'm sick of folks signing onto agreements then all of a sudden deciding the rules don't apply to them because _______fill in the blank.

He's a medal of honor recepient and he can't adhere to the rules, wonder how well that would go over if he was an active duty service men.
Oh sorry General, I don't feel like following that order right now.

He lives in a development with a homeowners association. He willingly moved there. Either follow the conditions you willing signed onto or move.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Medal of Honor winner or not he knew the rules when he moved in and chose to violate them.

It would be one thing if he went to his HOA and presented his case and asked for a waiver (which he probably would've gotten). But to violate the rules then use his service record to make the association look like the bad guys just festered the problem.

Agreed.

While I agree that an exception should be made, the guy went about it all wrong. I guess he assumed that being a medal of Honor recipient would grant him an automatic, knee jerk exception to the rules that he signed when he bought his home in a community with a strong HOA.

In the end, political correctness wins the day once again.

 

[chicagoshannon]

HOA's are stupid (and I live in one). Around here you pretty much do NOT have a choice of whether to live in one or not. ALL the developments have them. It's no one's business if I want to put a screen door on my house or if I want a cement/brick/or wooden deck.

If I want to hang my clothes on a clothes line it should be no one's business! Clothes last longer and don't shrink if they're line dried!

Let the old man have his flag pole. It shouldn't matter if he is a veteran or not. It's HIS property! As soon as the HOA starts paying my mortgage THEN they can tell me what or what not I can do with my property!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I agree that he moved into a community with an HOA, knowing the rules, and went about it the wrong way. You can't just assume you are above them once you are in - you signed on the line. (Around here there aren't that many = so it is a definite choice)

However, I do think an exception could have been made with a vote from the rest of the community. As long as the majority was on board - and I would imagine they would be given the situation. *AND* a compromise: 21 ft is too high. The size of the flagpole and flag should be within reason!!!!

Our HOA allows one flag per property and sets limits on size - very reasonable. If you have a smaller mailbox or garden flag in front it isn't a big deal, they just want to limit the larger ones.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Just an FYI- 21 feet is VERY tall-taller than a two story houe. maybe a had one of those giant flags like car dealers have-that would be an eyesore-dont care if he's retired military.

Not my house, or even many houses in my area.

 

[bicker]

I LOVE people who fly American flags, though, and wish more people would do it.

I love seeing the flag fly, and I was so pleased a few years back when our condo association put up American flags at every entry.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Medal of Honor winner or not he knew the rules when he moved in and chose to violate them.

It would be one thing if he went to his HOA and presented his case and asked for a waiver (which he probably would've gotten). But to violate the rules then use his service record to make the association look like the bad guys just festered the problem.

Not necessarily. My mom lived in a development for a year that did not have an HOA when she moved in. But the neighbors decided they wanted one and formed one. My mom moved out when that happened. Not sure on how that happened exactly, or if it would even be legal.


Plus SOMETIMES HOA's do vote on rule changes AFTER the original rules have been set.

Again, I'll use my mom as an example, though in this instance it was a condo association.... after my mom was living there for years, the association put rules into place to limit each condo owner to 2 cars. Apparently some newer owners must have had 3 cars. Or, I know in one case they had 2 cars and a work van.

 

[bicker]

I agree that he moved into a community with an HOA, knowing the rules, and went about it the wrong way. You can't just assume you are above them once you are in - you signed on the line. (Around here there aren't that many = so it is a definite choice)

It is always a choice. There are always other places to live; perhaps the HOAs are located better, or cost less, or have other advantages, but those are the things you trade-off against that which you perceive as disadvantages of agreeing to live in community with others.

 

[bicker]

My mom lived in a development for a year that did not have an HOA when she moved in. But the neighbors decided they wanted one and formed one. My mom moved out when that happened. Not sure on how that happened exactly, or if it would even be legal.

In a democratic society, it surely is. Your mother took appropriate action.

Plus SOMETIMES HOA's do vote on rule changes AFTER the original rules have been set.

Which the rules, themselves, provide a process for. It works exactly like the US Constitution and similar documents: There are amendment procedures, setting forth a fair method for adopting structural changes to the chartering document itself, as well as legislative procedures, setting forth a fair method for passing and revising rules.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

If he lived in my neighborhood he would have been granted the right by statute to display the American flag on his property. The only problem I might have with it was if he didn't keep it in good repair or properly illuminate it at night. So many people who display flags don't know how to do it properly.

 

[npmommie]

Amen to the laundry, I don't know why people feel the need to hang it out on the line, TACKY, IMHO

because not using the dryer saves energy, lessens energy bills, makes the clothes last longer, and they don't shrink
I have been pestering my dh to put a line up for me for ages.

so for the flagpole, wouldn't bother me at all.
what are the aesthetic guidelines anyway? are they spelled out? specifically no flagpoles or is the aesthetically pleasing part subjective?
another reason I wouldn't live in a neighborhood with an HOA.

 

[golfgal]

We have a large flag pole in our yard. I am SO glad we don't have a micromanaging HOA (we don't have any kind of an HOA). I just don't understand why people need an HOA anyway. People here seem to be able to manage not painting their houses strange colors and keeping their yards presentable without them.