Local World War II Veteran Fights Homeowner's Association

Local World War II Veteran Fights Homeowner's Association

www.wtvr.com

BREAKING NEWS
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Local World War II Veteran Fights Homeowner's Association
Colonel Van Barfoot's homeowner's association has ordered him to remove the flagpole from his yard.

Angela Pellerano Weekend Anchor/Reporter

December 2, 2009
90 year-old Colonel Van Barfoot has until Friday to remove the flagpole from his yard.

Since this saga began, it's been played out on the radio from Washington D.C. to Boston, but many believe what is happening to this true American hero is tarnishing the image of Richmond.

Barfoot lives in the Sussex Square communi

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This is total horse crap, this man deserves to fly the American flag in what ever yard he owns! He was wounded 3 times in war has over 20 medals from his service. I look straight past his age and straight at what he has done for every one of us sitting here looking at ATS and other websites. This man put his life on the line for America and should have his right to fly the American flag in his yard.


I hope that when he goes to court he wins and fly's his flag high and proud to remember his fallen soldiers

www.wtvr.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 3-12-2009 by HolydarknessVA]

Homeowners Associations: Making sure every community has a little gestapo in the mix, since 1955.

Here is what gets me this quote from the news article.

"The homeowner's association also says Barfoot knew from the beginning that he wasn't supposed to have a flagpole without permission."


It says nothing about limits on size or placement just that he had to have permission, Well isnt it easy Just give him permission. unless its a 60' commercial flag pole then it shouldnt matter.
unless he is displaying the flag correctly and having it lit at night if it is not taken down, and the lights are bothering the neighbors?

i think little things like this are what is destroying our country, for god dsake its a war vet and a flag pole.

[edit on 3-12-2009 by triaxrob]

Originally posted by HolydarknessVA

this man deserves to fly the American flag in what ever yard he owns!
www.wtvr.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 3-12-2009 by HolydarknessVA]

Everything else you said, while true, is superfluous.

It doesn't matter if one is a war vet or has never even donned a uniform. It should be the right of every American to fly the American flag wherever they choose to -- provided they own the piece of property the pole sits on.

Now, the Homeowner's Association is well within their rights to dictate size, location, etc. Afterall, living there is a choice.

But to ban flying the American flag at all? I'd like to see this one go to the Supreme Court.

[edit on 3-12-2009 by lpowell0627]

Homeowners associations hold the right to make their own rules and regulations. Those moving into neighborhoods with such associations and by that fact join those associations should understand those rules and follow them or just not live there.

That being said I think they are out of line. The guy should be allowed to fly the flag. I would never live by the rules of a homeowners association. I think by definition and action most of them are one step below fascism. You get a group of people deciding for others what they can and cannot do on their own property (much like our government is trying to do from time to time). It says he moved there in July but does not mention when the flag pole was put in. I would assume they would have said something then if he added it when he moved in. I wonder if it was there before he moved in.

I hope the guy wins his case though.

Raist

i just re-read the article and would liek to change my opinion:

This man was in World War 2.

The *ONLY* war that has, in our life times, been fought to save our actual freedom.

There is nothing wrong with putting an American flag on display in your property.

Unfortunately - he knew what he was getting himself into when he moved there and joined the association.

Rules are rules - but it just goes to show - there are a lot of idiot mother #'s in this world - and one of them runs a home owners association.

[edit on 3-12-2009 by Snarf]

Actually it should be illegal for any Homeowners Association to force anyone to sign or agree to their rules and regulations just so the homeowner can purchase that dream home that just so happens to sit within that alleged Associations dreamt up borders. An Association can not force you to sign the agreement, but by not doing so you can guarantee that they will prevent you from ever purchasing that dream home. IMHO Homeowners Associations as they stand today are illegal, wrong, treasonous

I can understand the issues with preventing trash from piling up, non-running cars sitting in the front yard for years, things that actually and cosmeticaly reflect on the homeowner affecting the surrounding homes.
They have gone completely overboard in the last few years, and I have seen them in our area attempt to push their rules and regulations into an older subdivision which pre-dated not only the subdivision that was governed by the Association, but the Association as well.

I think Homeowner Associations should be regulated by the residents, and the majority of those residents need to come down off their high horses and realize that they are just regular people, nothing special about them.