I don’t understand why it would bring down the values of our homes by flying the American flag from a pole in my front yard,” homeowner Jimmie Watkins said. from the Sussex homeowners’ association in Clermont that they must remove the flag or face legal action.

The former retired U.S. Navy communications officer said he refuses to back down for the American flag. “Our people are serving today to give us freedom to do as we like here within the law of America,” Watkins said. “It is my right to fly my flag from my pole and until a court of law tells me to haul that down, I will not haul it down. I think about all of the people who have served our nation and all of the lives that it’s cost and all of the friends that I’ve lost.” Local 6 reported that all surrounding subdivisions in Kings Ridge allow a flag pole display in a person’s front yard.

Jim Hart, who handles property management for 1,500 properties, including Sussex, said it is the association’s call and not his. “Each sub-association has its own set of documents and they can differ,” Hart said.

HOA’s are generally small fiefdoms ruled by Barney Fife-like characters.

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  1. mke039 says:

    HOA boards are notorious for ignoring thier own governing documents and the general laws of the state.
    There is little state oversight of these things. Fraud and corruption are rampant. Lawyers and property managers actualy have their own lobbying group, the Community Associations Institute that makes sure that laws are NOT passed to protect homeowners.
    It is a HUGE scam.
    These idiots who say ‘you agreed to abide by the rules’ have no idea what is really going on. Or they are part of the problem.
    Scary stuff for America

  2. FL Statute 720 says:

    Maybe you might want to read the Florida Statutes… I’m ordering my 20′ flag pole today…

    720.304 Right of owners to peaceably assemble; display of flag; SLAPP suits prohibited.–

    (1) All common areas and recreational facilities serving any homeowners’ association shall be available to parcel owners in the homeowners’ association served thereby and their invited guests for the use intended for such common areas and recreational facilities. The entity or entities responsible for the operation of the common areas and recreational facilities may adopt reasonable rules and regulations pertaining to the use of such common areas and recreational facilities. No entity or entities shall unreasonably restrict any parcel owner’s right to peaceably assemble or right to invite public officers or candidates for public office to appear and speak in common areas and recreational facilities.

    (2)(a) Any homeowner may display one portable, removable United States flag or official flag of the State of Florida in a respectful manner, and one portable, removable official flag, in a respectful manner, not larger than 41/2 feet by 6 feet, which represents the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, or a POW-MIA flag, regardless of any covenants, restrictions, bylaws, rules, or requirements of the association.

    (b) Any homeowner may erect a freestanding flagpole no more than 20 feet high on any portion of the homeowner’s real property, 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 official flag of the State of Florida or the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard, or a POW-MIA flag. Such additional flag must be equal in size to or smaller than the United States flag.

    (c) This subsection applies to all community development districts and homeowners’ associations, regardless of whether such homeowners’ associations are authorized to impose assessments that may become a lien on the parcel.

    (3) Any owner prevented from exercising rights guaranteed by subsection (1) or subsection (2) may bring an action in the appropriate court of the county in which the alleged infringement occurred, and, upon favorable adjudication, the court shall enjoin the enforcement of any provision contained in any homeowners’ association document or rule that operates to deprive the owner of such rights.

  3. Foster says:

    Some HOA’s (such as the one I happen to belong to)change the rules without the approval of the residents. They have their meeting at 1pm when most people are working so there isn’t too many people that can disagree.

    We recently got a new set of rules. The changes were mostly those that had been violated on a regular basis by the representative that lives in the complex.

  4. dogbridgeusmc1 says:

    every free American should fly the American flag in fron of their home. all Americans should read the Constitution ones a week. onlt then will Americans will understand that no government ca n te us what to do. it is the American people who tell all governments what to do. they work for us. hos have homeowners living in tyranny and oppresion.

    nothing scares me more then someone who knows with sertainty, what is good for me.

  5. dogbridgeusmc1 says:

    all free Americans should fly the American flag in front of their homes. all Americans should read the constitution ones a week. only then Americans will understand that no government can not tell us what to do. we tell government what to do.

    hoa’s have homeowners living in tyranny and oppresion

    nothing scares me more than someone who knows with sertainy, what is good for me.

  6. tcheeze says:

    Before I moved to florida I thought hoa’s were the work of holywood. It sounds nieve but the thought of people actually paying for someone to tell them what they can or can not do is asinine. More than that, it is completely unAmerican. These people are akin to nazi’s, the way they force there stupid little rules on people. Even if the people who live there signed or agreed to these conditions before hand, screwing veterens like these people have is clearly not even the original purpose of there own rules. The people who shit on this poor old man are not americans, and if they are I am ashamed to call myself one. The crusty old assholes who serve on these boards clearly have way to much money and time on there hands. Time that could be better served volenteering, or any of 100 other things that would actually help people. I personally believe that these organizations have set themselves up as mini governments and should be required to honer things like the constitution, right to property, and personal decisions like the right to fly a flag. As roughly 60% of florida is governed by these small minded people, it excludes some of the normal class of folkes from comfortable living. These institutions should be abolished across the board. It’s time to stop this hatred from hurting people. Please do what you can to abolish these organizations in your own areas. I will for the rest of my life do what I can to rid the world of these small minded people. If anyone who reads this knows of a petion, or forum where I can sign to help kill these groups, pls post them. Signed. Sad but patriotic american. Also I hope this man buys and fly’s the biggest flag that they sell. Thank you


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