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This guy was told by his Homeowners Association that he couldn't fly the American flag in his yard.... (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by _repost_

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[–]NNYPhillipJFry 272 points273 points ago

If an HOA is strict enough where you cant fly a flag I am sure they have some sort of rule about what color your house can be. Id be curious about the REAL story of this house.

[–]dandeliondigger 152 points153 points ago

Here and here is more of the story.

[–]Ceberus 57 points58 points ago*

So instead of a HOA it's another organization telling someone what they cant do to their property, The Historical Society in Cambridge. Still a valid reason to protest by painting a flag on their house.

[–]Berdiie 4 points5 points ago

The historical society in Savannah, GA has similar rules regarding the color paint on the houses, but I think the only "penalty" is that they'd take your house off the register of historical homes and won't bring tours by it while it's the "wrong" color. It's not the biggest deal if you don't really care.

I was told this by a tour guide so I don't know how legit it is. Their story was that Paula Dean once owned a house in the Historical district, but she wanted a very garish paint color for her home. They took it off the list while it was painted that and put it back when she repainted it to the allowed colors before selling it.

[–]electric_slide 9 points10 points ago

I live in Savannah, and one of my favorite homes is one that's not up to code.

[–]Rum_Pirate_SC 7 points8 points ago

Butter Yellow?

[–]Berdiie 2 points3 points ago

IIRC it was bright pink, like neon pink with black trim.

[–]Rum_Pirate_SC 1 point2 points ago

the color combination that should have stayed in the 80's..

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    [–]dandeliondigger 12 points13 points ago

    There is so much more trolling to be had if you lie and say the owner did it because he wasn't allowed to fly the flag instead of a stupid historical code.

    [–]dandeliondigger 4 points5 points ago

    More details of the story in Forbe's from arychj buried at the bottom.

    [–]Socky_McPuppet 9 points10 points ago

    … which is interesting because the actual story has nothing to do with not being able to fly the flag.

    The more I look at the details, the more this whole story has a Re: RE: RE: Fwd: RE: GO USA #1!!! feel to it.

    [–]mordacthedenier 19 points20 points ago

    It’s literally a federal offense for a homeowners association to restrict flying the American flag.

    Quote from the first article.

    Contractor finds out that they can not object to paint, so to get back at them for not letting him do repairs, he paints one of his properties black and the other as an American Flag.

    From the second one.

    OP is full of it.

    [–]NNYPhillipJFry 8 points9 points ago

    Thanks for posting the real stories. Howd you find them?

    Here is the most important part: Thanks to commentator Erin for posting a link to the real story behind this paint job. It had nothing to do with a homeowners association and flying the American flag and instead had everything to do with a guy acting like a jerk towards the local historical society.

    [–]dandeliondigger 0 points1 point ago

    Google image search of the house found the first article.

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      [–]jeblis 24 points25 points ago

      Yeah, the house looks to be too old to be part of an HOA.

      [–]naschara 1 point2 points ago

      Yeah, maybe I'm mistaken, but HOAs are generally new, cookie cutter housing areas. This house is old and they would not allow painting it if they don't allow a flag.

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        [–]Daniel022 354 points355 points ago

        HOAs are assholes.

        [–]tookiselite12 38 points39 points ago

        Back when I was ~7 or so when my brother (10 years older than I am) and I were still living with our parents we lived in an extremely nice place but the homeowners association was a bitch.

        They did this thing where whichever house had the nicest yard at the end of the month would win the "yard of the month" and they got a small sign comparable to a campaign sign people put in their yards for the month.

        Well one of our neighbors went on vacation one time and they were paying my brother to watch over their house for them. The day before they got back my brother went to the "yard of the month" and stole the sign, and put it in the yard of the house he was watching as a joke.

        Everyone thought it was hilarious. The homeowners association didn't and banned us from the competition and we were no longer eligible to win.

        [–]spyson 50 points51 points ago

        Oh no! Not being banned from the best yard competition! How would you feel important now?

        [–]tookiselite12 14 points15 points ago

        Haha. Some people took that shit really seriously. We didn't, and never won regardless; so it didn't really matter.

        The only people who mowed our lawn were my brother and I, and we rarely mowed that shit. My mom wasn't much of a gardener either.

        [–]adrianmonk 15 points16 points ago

        Thus illustrating that homeowners associations, especially the leadership thereof, are for people who really just don't have anything to do with their time.

        [–]TheAbominableDavid 1 point2 points ago

        True.

        And I've seen otherwise normal people get talked into being on the HOA boards in their neighborhoods and gradually turn into people who just don't have anything to do with their time other than obsess over the placement of their neighbors' shrubberies.

        [–]Dugen 154 points155 points ago

        HOA's should be banned.

        [–]VeryBetter 23 points24 points ago

        HOA is what I can't stand.

        [–]fizziksman 40 points41 points ago

        The argument "don't live in a neighborhood with an HOA" misses the fundamental question. How are these organizations even legal.

        OK so the original homebuilder entered into this contract along with all the homes in the area. How can all future purchasers be forced to adopt the terms of that contract? Who gives the HOA the authority to attach a contract to all future property transfers?

        It just seems wrong to me, and against the idea of property ownership that is so dear to Americans.

        [–]Rohm 8 points9 points ago

        No it misses an even more fundamental question: "Where are the neighborhoods without HOAs?" Nearly every new development has one, and while they're rarer among older homes, older homes aren't always an option.

        [–]TwoHands 13 points14 points ago

        People are free to enter such contracts by moving in, and part of the sale of the house is conditioned on agreeing to the contract. Since you can't be compelled to purchase that particular house, you're free to buy one elsewhere, and commute farther, or live in a smaller house, or whatever.

        The contract is given new life by the termination of the resident's ownership or other transfer of ownership, or subletting, or rental.

        Some people view these horrid associations as a DESIRABLE selling point, because they want to live in a nice looking neighborhood where people follow rules.

        These people are also hollow human beings who don't live for themselves.

        [–]adrianmonk 4 points5 points ago

        People are free to enter such contracts by moving in, and part of the sale of the house is conditioned on agreeing to the contract.

        Sooooo, suppose that a bank foreclosed on a house and took ownership of it. The bank is going to sell it (probably at auction). Is the bank required to force the buyer to be in the HOA? After all, the owner was the one forbidden from selling it to someone who doesn't agree to the contract, but presumably the bank forcibly took the property, so the owner had no say and has no power to enforce any restrictions then.

        Granted, a lot of banks might require HOA membership just to avoid pissing off the HOA, but I'm curious if they're actually obligated to do so. I suppose it's possible the bank also agrees to keep the HOA requirement when they set up a loan, but on the other hand, banks sell loans all the time, and if Bank A makes the loan and then sells it to Bank B, I wonder if that requirement would go along with the sale of the loan. If I were a banker I certainly wouldn't want to bother with that overhead.

        Basically, what I'm wondering is whether foreclosures allow properties to "leak" through the HOA net so that over time a few properties will become HOA-free.

        Also, if bank foreclosures can't break the cycle, maybe government seizures can. Say I own a house but I fail to pay my property taxes. The government can take the house. I doubt if the government is going to force a buyer to join the HOA. I wouldn't expect them to care at all as long as they are able to collect their taxes.

        [–]mohuohu 4 points5 points ago

        they are conditions attached to the land, not contracts.

        Real Covenants are actually an essential part of property rights, and have been around for centuries. They're an absolutely necessary part of the fabric of a landowning society.

        [–]Cerevox 1 point2 points ago

        Because the original contract stipulates that in order to sell to someone, they too must agree to the contract. Which means you can't buy the house unless you agree to follow the HOA rules.

        You buy the house, you agree to follow the HOA rules. Perhaps next time you will read what you are signing?

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            [–]ManiacDan 76 points77 points ago

            Or just...don't move into a neighborhood controlled by one. I really don't understand why people keep doing it if they all know how terrible they are. I'll never live in an HOA area. I'd rather my neighbor have a cinderblock in his yard than get fined $300 for my basketball hoop being crooked.

            [–]iamanooj 32 points33 points ago

            All the nicer houses (at least in my area) have an HOA.

            [–]Confucius_says 1 point2 points ago

            those things kind of going hand in hand... You get less control. but the overall area stays nicer because no one can do absurd things.

            [–]ManiacDan 5 points6 points ago

            Maybe that's what it is. I bought a 4 bedroom house in a lovely suburb of Dallas without an HOA. It was a bit under $200k, so maybe once you break $250 or something then HOA just becomes something you have to live with. I'd just look extra hard.

            [–]GoDawgs34 23 points24 points ago

            4 bedroom house for under $200k?!?

            [–]napk 51 points52 points ago

            Welcome to Texas

            [–]adrianmonk 8 points9 points ago

            On the minus side, expect to pay $200 to $500 per month for electric bills to air condition that house in the summer. :-)

            [–]givemefive 7 points8 points ago

            we pay $800/month to keep the house at 78F on 3100 sq ft in Dallas during summer.

            [–]Kel-O-Tron 10 points11 points ago

            Back when I lived in a 2000 sq ft 2 story house in San Antonio, it cost me less than $150 a month to keep my house at 77F, and that is with two pc's running all day, plus XBox 360/PS3 gaming.

            You need to invest in a more efficient HVAC unit.

            [–]PopcornJockey 3 points4 points ago

            Wow, and to think I've bitched over $200 heating bills to keep the house at 65* during the coldest months. Maybe you can install a wind turbine or solar panels (unless of course you're in a HOA).

            [–]Flashman_H 20 points21 points ago

            That's a huge house. You deserve your bills.

            [–]jjswee 1 point2 points ago

            I have heard of somebody in texas that put up solar panels to run multiple attic fans. He said getting the extra circulation up there helped his bills tremendously, and far better than putting the solar power directly towards the AC. I would have a hard time finding the source, but if you really want it, I could look it up for a bit.

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              [–]EarlWellington 1 point2 points ago

              Are you kidding me? That's ridiculous! I pay $85 a month to run airconditioning for a 2 bedroom in Australia. That seems excessive

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                [–]ashdrewness 4 points5 points ago

                Ssshhh! They"ll keep moving here damnit!

                [–]ssracer 2 points3 points ago

                Property taxes on second homes make up for the low cost :-/

                [–]kochipoik 6 points7 points ago

                That seems like a remarkably good way of allowing new owners into the market, instead of what we have in NZ: the price of houses is ridiculously high, so that property investors can make money

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                  [–]ManiacDan 6 points7 points ago

                  Shit yeah man, 4 bedrooms, a fenced in yard, 2 living rooms, a wet bar, marble countertops. You should move to Texas if you want cheap land and $2/hr construction workers to build the house for you. Housing costs are unbelievable in the South. I was 40 minutes from the heart of Dallas and was living in a sprawling house that I paid ~$175k for.

                  [–]Im_just_saying 1 point2 points ago

                  4 bedroom cedar & stone home, with two extra office rooms, outbuilding storage room (concrete floor, tin building), 13 acres of land with pond, pasture, woods - $200,000; an hour north of Dallas. Property taxes $2100 a year.

                  [–]Chicken65 1 point2 points ago

                  Texas homes are big and cheap.

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                    [–]iamanooj 1 point2 points ago

                    My area is in Los Angeles, probably just regional differences.

                    A nice 4 bedroom would end up being around $400-500k here.

                    [–]MangoCharizard 1 point2 points ago

                    In Vancouver 200k gets you nothing...maybe a small apartment maybe...

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                      [–]gjhgjh 2 points3 points ago

                      Easier said than done. The places that have the good jobs also seem to have the most HOAs.

                      [–]dhockey63 8 points9 points ago

                      what neighborhood isnt controlled by one nowadays? If you live in a city and not in the middle of the sticks then most neighborhoods if not all are controlled by some type of HOA, just depends on how severe they are

                      [–]yupitsani 6 points7 points ago

                      false. I live in LA and most aren't

                      [–]R3luctant 5 points6 points ago

                      yeah they are, they just go by different name, gangs

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                            [–]gjhgjh 7 points8 points ago

                            Do you know the original reason for HOA's? If you said to keep home values up then you'd only be half right. The way they kept home values up was by keeping undesirables out. Like blacks, mexicans, asians. Basically anyone who wasn't white wasn't allowed to buy a house in a HOA. The oldest HOAs are in California where these racist rules are still on file. They are no longer enforceable because of the Fair Housing Act.

                            [–]KobeGriffin 1 point2 points ago

                            Start a HOA to ban the HOA!

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                              [–]goblinpiledriver 5 points6 points ago

                              We had a tree taken out of our front lawn and grass laid over the area where it used to be. Within a week the HOA apparently had someone come out and dig up the new grass and put in a new tree.

                              My dad was not amused.

                              [–]Paulus81 23 points24 points ago

                              They are a place for old folks to feel important, and to make other miserable.

                              [–]11oops 9 points10 points ago

                              Around here they're all middle-aged, 30-40 year olds. The PTA soccer-mom types.

                              [–]fog_bank 6 points7 points ago

                              I fucking hate HOA's... That's why I won't buy a home where there is one.

                              [–]thehooptie 0 points1 point ago

                              It's actually the Cambridge Historical Society in this case.

                              [–]thegreatgazoo 1 point2 points ago

                              Historical societies are worse than HOAs. I'd never live in a historic district.

                              [–]greyfoxv1 0 points1 point ago

                              Can you or someone else explain to me how these associations have so much power in the US? They're a non-issue in other countries.

                              [–]Daniel022 1 point2 points ago

                              They have so much power because the residents give them power. Also they can imposes liens and fines and whatnot for not paying the fees or not following the rules.

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                                [–]Gorignak 55 points56 points ago

                                They probably also have stringent rules on how your house must be painted. Can't fight the local meddlers.

                                [–]CMO_Ratchet 83 points84 points ago

                                Saw a story once about an old lady who painted her house a mute color and the HOA went after her saying should could only choose from 6 preapproved colors...so she rainbow painted her house all six colors because nothing in the bylaws said you had to stick to just one color. They were pissed but what can you do?

                                [–]arche22 62 points63 points ago

                                They could start by not being dicks about things!

                                [–]Chairboy 12 points13 points ago

                                They choose... an alternate strategy.

                                [–]FifthElement 11 points12 points ago

                                Pray that they do not alter it further.

                                [–]skel625 2 points3 points ago

                                Welcome to planet earth! How long do you plan to visit?

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                                  [–]schoocher 65 points66 points ago

                                  Usually when a HA tells someone that they can't fly the American flag in his yard, it's because he wanted to fly one that is the size of a football field.

                                  Still... props on being a smartass. :)

                                  [–]miked1be 25 points26 points ago

                                  Not necessarily, many HOAs have a rule against flying any flags or having any signs in the yard.

                                  [–]Measly 43 points44 points ago

                                  And that's just goddamn unpatriotic.

                                  [–]Curly92 39 points40 points ago

                                  Damn Commies.

                                  [–]TuriGuiliano 10 points11 points ago

                                  Waiting for "Senator_McCarthy" to show up.

                                  [–]inqrorken 5 points6 points ago

                                  BETTER DEAD, THAN RED.

                                  [–]Colin5789 1 point2 points ago

                                  Reds under the beds

                                  [–]bluemeep 5 points6 points ago

                                  Most HOAs are localized dictatorships. Can't be flying another country's flag, son.

                                  [–]UnfittingToast 2 points3 points ago

                                  many HOAs have a rule against flying any flags

                                  Hopefully not against the American Flag.

                                  [–]Burnsey235 4 points5 points ago

                                  My HA threatened a 5 grand fine per day when I put up a God Bless America sign last year on 9/11. I love them so much.

                                  [–]CSFFlame 2 points3 points ago

                                  Does anyone use your HOA? or is it just a bunch of old people harassing other people?

                                  (There are ways to disband it or at least get it under control.)

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                                    [–]CSFFlame 0 points1 point ago

                                    That got shot down somewhere....

                                    [–]TwStDoNe 0 points1 point ago

                                    HOA can not stop you from displaying an american flag \ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_Display_the_American_Flag_Act_of_2005

                                    [–]minderaser 0 points1 point ago

                                    I'm wondering if he was allowed to fly one attached to his house, but in any event by putting it in his yard he was trying to be extra patriotic.

                                    [–]annabear 11 points12 points ago

                                    The HOA in my neighborhood told the guy down the street that he needed "more green" in his yard and garden. He then painted his entire house bright green. Ten years later and it's still the same color.

                                    [–]ljc123 1 point2 points ago

                                    i think you owe us a streetview link

                                    [–]annabear 1 point2 points ago

                                    http://maps.google.com/?ll=39.909687,-82.760616&spn=0.002551,0.005246&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.909737,-82.760594&panoid=54XkFnyQVhOK948rVYf5Jg&cbp=12,114.82,,0,-1.53

                                    It looks a little yellow here, but it's green, I promise. The trim is also sponged green. Since he painted it, he's cleaned up his yard.

                                    [–]STOP_BEING_RETARDED 67 points68 points ago

                                    'murica, fuck yeah!

                                    [–]rhubarbbus 44 points45 points ago

                                    These colors don't run

                                    [–]forloveofscience 9 points10 points ago

                                    Any colored dye runs when the proper solvent is applied.

                                    [–]UnfittingToast 0 points1 point ago

                                    Somehow that seems less impressive given that those planes are part of the Navy's demo team and not an actual fighting unit.

                                    [–]Sitron 7 points8 points ago

                                    And I'm proud to be an american, where at least I know I'm free!

                                    [–][deleted] 8 points9 points ago

                                    I appreciate the sentiment, but I fucking hate that song.

                                    [–]Tentacolt 2 points3 points ago

                                    Dude that song's the business.

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                                        [–]RtlsnkSteve 5 points6 points ago

                                        Huh, first time I've seen something on facebook first before I saw it on reddit. weird.

                                        [–]tiyx 4 points5 points ago

                                        Ugly as fuck.

                                        [–]ndsulee 16 points17 points ago

                                        Do NOT fuck with retired people......WAAYYY too much time and money on their hands.

                                        [–]Sodfarm 18 points19 points ago

                                        I DIED IN KILLING NAZIS IN VIETNAM FOR THIS FLAG

                                        [–]wesman212 0 points1 point ago

                                        I was the flag holder for almost an entire year in fifth grade before I was impeached. Does that count?

                                        [–][deleted] ago

                                        [deleted]

                                        [–][deleted] ago

                                        [deleted]

                                        [–]cheviot 1 point2 points ago

                                        Here's the problem. What the HOAs do now is ban flagpoles, not flags. How do you hang a flag without a flagpole? You can't, not in a manner consistent with "federal law or any rule or custom pertaining to the proper display or use of the flag". One guy tried parking a boat in his driveway and flying the flag off the mast to get around the no flagpole rule. All they did was ban boats too.

                                        [–]arychj 51 points52 points ago

                                        This has nothing to do with the HOA saying he can't fly the flag. It's an historic house, and they said that the windows were not up to historic code, and that the proper windows would cost something like a hundred thousand dollars to install. He painted this house as the flag in protest, and the one he owns next door black in protest.

                                        Do your research before you jump on the blank is evil bandwagon.

                                        [–]UtterlyDisposable 26 points27 points ago

                                        While what you say may or may not be true, HOAs are pretty goddamned evil. They operate with no real oversight, and in some states actually have more power to evict you from your home than the state or the bank that financed it.

                                        [–]CommanderFlapjacks 3 points4 points ago

                                        Telling him he has to install hundred thousands dollar windows on his own house for reasons he may not give a fuck about doesn't seem any less evil or ridiculous

                                        [–]arychj 1 point2 points ago

                                        Oh yes, I completely agree, but people are turning this into a patriotic "attack on the flag" issue, when it's not. It's the difference between the HOA being evil unpatriotic pricks and the HOA just being morons...

                                        [–]Mandraix 7 points8 points ago

                                        While I'm more inclined to believe your side, do you perhaps have a link as to where you acquired this knowledge? If you're calling his side out then cite your sources.

                                        [–]arychj 21 points22 points ago

                                        I knew someone was going to call me on the lack of link but I was on my ipad and couldn't be bothered to look it up, here it is though: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efel45eflf/american-flag-and-black-house-in-cambridge-maryland/

                                        Also, it's a federal offense to for HOAs to prohibit the flying of the American flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_Display_the_American_Flag_Act_of_2005

                                        [–]Vefantur 1 point2 points ago

                                        I didn't know about this... thank you. :) May come in handy, actually.

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                                          [–]lettuceman44 7 points8 points ago

                                          Why isn't he allowed to?

                                          [–]handl3r 46 points47 points ago

                                          He lives in North Korea.

                                          [–]MrJay235 26 points27 points ago

                                          The houses aren't big enough for that. North Koreans live in mansions, thanks to Dear Leader.

                                          [–]darkflavour 53 points54 points ago

                                          You are now a moderator on /r/Pyongyang

                                          [–]Sakonosolo 17 points18 points ago

                                          I've been meaning to ask, is that subreddit a joke or is it actually affiliated with North Korea?

                                          [–]NolanRoss 19 points20 points ago

                                          Dunno im banned.

                                          [–]Sodfarm 2 points3 points ago

                                          I think it started out as a joke, but the moderators have gone a little mad.

                                          [–]PhantomRedFistPhoton 1 point2 points ago

                                          I got banned before I could find out.

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                                            [–]zgh5002 6 points7 points ago

                                            He is. OP is full of shit.

                                            [–]miked1be 0 points1 point ago

                                            Many HOAs have a rule against flying any flag or having any sign in front of the house. Including a nation's flag. By moving there you are essentially agreeing to this rule, the guy really should have read the rules before buying that house if this is actually true.

                                            [–][deleted] ago

                                            [deleted]

                                            [–]TehGogglesDoNothing 4 points5 points ago

                                            When I was 12 we moved into a new neighborhood without a HOA and about a year later a HOA was formed. Since we were there before the HOA, we were grandfathered in and had the option of whether or not to join, but anyone that moved in after it formed had no choice but to join. The HOA provided no benefits except that at some point, one day in the future, there would be a pool with a cabana and a park. And in the mean time, they wanted us to pay $30 a month for nothing but their rules, so we declined to join. The park never materialized and the tiny pool that they eventually put in was a joke. In the end, it was a good decision.

                                            Fast forward about 3 years an my dad decides not to keep the boat in the garage for the winter. It was a 15.5 foot 70's tri-hull ski boat that had been converted for fishing use. That summer, something happened and the motor refused to reverse any more and the boat hadn't been getting any use. So we put it out at the back of our acre yard, at the edge of the tree line (no neighbors behind us), next to our neighbors six foot fence and covered it with an OD green boat cover for the winter.

                                            The HOA had an absolute shit fit about it. They sent us letters twice a week for two months threatening all kinds of action before we had a lawyer send them a letter back telling them to fuck off because we weren't a part of their association and they had no legal say over what we did in our yard as long as we were following local statutes. Luckily, we were in a position where that sort of thing would work.

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                                              [–]DevinTheGreatish 5 points6 points ago

                                              So uh.. What is the point of this HOA you speak of...

                                              [–]miked1be 7 points8 points ago

                                              Home Owners Association. Basically the it's an organization that is voted in by the homeowners in the neighborhood that has certain rules. When you buy a home in that area you're required to sign the agreement, if you don't agree, you don't buy the house. They have rules in place that are meant for neighborhoods to not fall into disrepair (upkeep of yards, stuff like that) to keep property values from dropping on any homes due to one fucked up house in the neighborhood. The only problem is some of them are far too invasive and douchey.

                                              [–]DevinTheGreatish 4 points5 points ago

                                              Ooooh okay well that seems like a good idea, but the flag thing is kind of ridiculous...

                                              [–]miked1be 7 points8 points ago

                                              They have their upsides and downsides. It all depends on the HOA.

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                                                  [–]Solonys 1 point2 points ago

                                                  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_Display_the_American_Flag_Act_of_2005

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                                                      [–]siberianunderlord 3 points4 points ago

                                                      Sad when you see something on Facebook before you see it on damn Reddit..

                                                      [–]aktaylor08 2 points3 points ago

                                                      Mom what are you doing on Reddit? Get back on Facebook!

                                                      [–]anonnewmommy 2 points3 points ago

                                                      ಠ_ಠ my grandma shared this on facebook a few days ago.

                                                      [–]graysa 2 points3 points ago

                                                      So I was planning on getting mad at OP for reposting my original post and getting karma for it until I saw his username. Well done friend

                                                      [–]nitrouso2 2 points3 points ago

                                                      Anyone notice the ladder shadow on top left looks like spider?

                                                      [–]NekkidSnaku 1 point2 points ago

                                                      YES!

                                                      [–]gedDOh 2 points3 points ago

                                                      Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:

                                                      [–]Jorudo89 2 points3 points ago

                                                      You guys have this kind of thing in the US, too? In England we have county council officials knocking on doors and telling people not to put up flags too. They say it could offend foreign families in the area if they see them.

                                                      [–]stlouisbrowns 1 point2 points ago

                                                      That, my limey friend, is bullshit. Foreigners came to live with you. Let 'em fume.

                                                      [–]lurker_no_more94 7 points8 points ago

                                                      good for that dude...he rocks :D

                                                      [–]randybob275 7 points8 points ago

                                                      This guy huh? What a credible story.

                                                      [–][deleted] ago

                                                      [deleted]

                                                      [–]adrianmonk 2 points3 points ago

                                                      Yeah. As far as I'm aware, HOAs are a relatively new thing that is formed when a developer builds a whole new subdivision. This house looks waaaay too old to be in a neighborhood like that.

                                                      [–]WeHaveMetBefore 1 point2 points ago

                                                      Why can't you fly flags in your yard?

                                                      [–]b00ks 1 point2 points ago

                                                      No he wasn't.

                                                      That house looks too damn old (and so do the neighbors) to be part of a HOA.

                                                      [–]guitarnoir 1 point2 points ago

                                                      TIL that there are HOA's with old houses (I thought HOA's were all in planned developments).

                                                      [–]darthn3ss 1 point2 points ago

                                                      Obligatory epic forum post involving HOA's: http://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?p=3060584

                                                      [–]Fbizzle 1 point2 points ago

                                                      I see someone is a Mitt Romney supporter on Facebook

                                                      [–]Abaddon77 1 point2 points ago

                                                      This is absolutely hideous.

                                                      [–]AdmiralSkippy 1 point2 points ago

                                                      I'm Canadian. What the fuck is a Homeowners Association and what do they do? Are you paying a lease on the property or something? How can they decide what you can and cannot do on your land and your home?

                                                      [–]WeirdWordCombination 1 point2 points ago

                                                      ...and people think that nationalism has run a muck in this country...

                                                      [–]mrpopenfresh 1 point2 points ago

                                                      This is probably an even bigger issue than the flag. Bylaws can have some pretty stringent design standards.

                                                      [–]shmoo1239 1 point2 points ago

                                                      I'm not very patriotic but I enjoy a good "Fuck you" like any other American.

                                                      [–]ISHOTJAMC 1 point2 points ago

                                                      Am I the only one that thinks this is kind of cool, in a kitsch way?

                                                      [–]grooming-the-narwhal 1 point2 points ago

                                                      blind patriotism is as bad as blind faith. american patriotism makes me sick.

                                                      [–]scottyd1127 1 point2 points ago

                                                      'Merica

                                                      [–]SGTBurke 3 points4 points ago

                                                      Now when his house burns down, its a form of symbolic speech and an insurance claim!

                                                      [–]alexvenegas 2 points3 points ago

                                                      Americans and their flags.

                                                      [–]jesusapproves 1 point2 points ago

                                                      For once facebook beat reddit on something.

                                                      [–]CaptainJizzBeard 1 point2 points ago

                                                      HOA are fucking fascists, my property, my rules.

                                                      [–]camostorm -1 points0 points ago

                                                      I'd rather be homeless than live with an hoa ruling my neighborhood.

                                                      [–]Not_a_neuroscientist 0 points1 point ago

                                                      I was kinda expecting a nazi flag instead for some reason. . .

                                                      [–]Cabana 0 points1 point ago

                                                      That paintjob is pretty awesome

                                                      [–]ldawg092498 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Where is this?

                                                      [–]wickedrums 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Wow, something I saw on my newsfeed before Reddit...

                                                      [–]polican 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Source? Didn't think so.

                                                      [–]ThatRollingStone 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Doug Stanhope?

                                                      [–]zgh5002 0 points1 point ago

                                                      You have some 'splainin to do.

                                                      [–]hargmarglin 0 points1 point ago

                                                      I feel that home is too old to belong to one, but, Fuck the dirty HOAS. Just another parasite.

                                                      [–]antibios 0 points1 point ago

                                                      I completely expected to see that he had chosen to fly some other country's flag instead in protest.

                                                      [–]PassthatVersayzee 0 points1 point ago

                                                      That is incredibly ugly.

                                                      [–]CoNiGMa 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Fuck da police!

                                                      [–]holljoymy123 0 points1 point ago

                                                      My friend's HOA doesn't even care about people blasting music at 4am, but they bust her elderly grandmother for growing squash.

                                                      [–]Osiris19 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Well, I think Ill just leave these here.

                                                      [–]williamfbuckwheat 0 points1 point ago

                                                      I don't think a homeowners association would stop you from flying a flag but would let you paint your house anyway you wanted to. Typically, a homeowners association will force you to keep your house painted a neutral color like beige or white. I could also see local governments having ordinances against painting your house like this.

                                                      It seems odd that a neighborhood organization would decide to ban flags when just about every other homeowner in the United States displays one on their property. I feel like it almost taboo to ban something like a flag in a country like this due to the enormous backlash you would run into from patriotic Americans. It is not like the guy was displaying something unsightly like an army of garden gnomes or a 1978 ford fiesta on blocks in their front yard.

                                                      [–]AngryJozh 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Because fuck the Homeowners that's why.

                                                      [–]Mikey129 0 points1 point ago

                                                      That homeowner association hates america... They also happen to be above a large deposit of oil...

                                                      [–]snebmiester 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Some states have laws that prevent the HOA from banning the US Flag. But I doubt that they would allow him to paint his house.

                                                      [–]ExodusRex 0 points1 point ago

                                                      'merica fuck you.

                                                      [–]Halfwayhome22 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Except for the "Scott Tenorman" episode of South Park, this is the greatest thing i have ever seen.

                                                      [–]intheendischaos1 0 points1 point ago

                                                      FWD: FWD: FWD:

                                                      [–]crusoe 0 points1 point ago

                                                      A neighborhood that old, I doubt there is a HOA. We have a crazy painted-flag-house here too.

                                                      [–]SampMan87 0 points1 point ago

                                                      That's not proper flag etiquette...

                                                      [–]rhtufts 0 points1 point ago

                                                      I seriously don't understand why ANYONE would want to live in an HOA. They have idiotic nit picky rules for everything! Its amazing to me that any American would WILLINGLY consent to such bull shit.

                                                      [–]DrUncle 0 points1 point ago

                                                      That's horrible someone forced him to sign a contract he didn't feel like honoring later on! There should be a law . . .

                                                      [–]diminishedfifth 0 points1 point ago

                                                      OP and his lies ha.

                                                      [–]Galaxey 0 points1 point ago

                                                      GOOD FOR HIM!~!!!!!

                                                      [–]ThatRussianFuck 0 points1 point ago

                                                      'Merica.

                                                      [–]CagedMoose 0 points1 point ago

                                                      When I was growing up, my parents lived in a neighborhood run by a super bitchy HOA president and board. They had the most stringent palette of acceptable colors to paint your house. The best way to describe this palette is to think of every color you can, imagine how that color would look with vomit, and then imagine what it would look like if you then took a shit on that color that's already been covered with vomit.

                                                      Wanting to protest this, one family in my neighborhood found a convenient loophole in the HOA bylaws. It was only specified that you could paint your house out of the given colors. Not that you needed to paint your house only ONE of the colors, and no system to speak of to force someone to change was what deemed an ugly house.

                                                      Naturally, this family decided to paint their house EVERY SINGLE COLOR in the color-vomit-shit palette. The HOA desperately tried to search for something that they could do about the color scheme, and each time they brought something up, the homeowner weaseled his way out of punishment via loopholes. Lawyered. Literally. The guy was an attorney.

                                                      The house stayed painted all the possible color choices for a full TWO YEARS in protest and there was nothing that could be done. The house was hideous, but given the fact that all of the other residents of the neighborhood not in the HOA understood what was going on, everyone supported it. When it came time for re-elections, the HOA president and board were promptly voted out.

                                                      TL;DR HOA was lawyered.

                                                      [–]Cilicious 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Reminds me of a story I read about a guy whose HOA would not let him put a tool shed in his backyard.

                                                      He carefully read through the HOA rules. Gazebos were allowed. So he built a gazebo with storage benches and kept his tools there.

                                                      [–]dem503 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Can anyone shed light on why? I can easily understand why no religious/political flags/signs could be put up, but surely the fact that you're in america shows that everyone has made the choice to be american?! Who could it possibly annoy?!

                                                      [–]electrophoresis 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Do they have rules on unnecessary ladders? Dude has four fuckin' ladders up at once!

                                                      [–]pinkyuplikeasir 0 points1 point ago

                                                      'MURICA

                                                      [–]reddell 0 points1 point ago

                                                      So much wasted energy and passion.

                                                      [–]Ibanezltd 0 points1 point ago

                                                      This reminds me of a Half Baked quote: "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, Your cool. I'M OUT!!

                                                      [–]stlouisbrowns 0 points1 point ago

                                                      AAAAAAH HAAA HA HA HA HAAAA!!!

                                                      ASSHOLE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION !!!

                                                      [–]floldguy 0 points1 point ago

                                                      WELL DONE !!!

                                                      [–]-RdV- 0 points1 point ago

                                                      The federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, makes it illegal for a homeowners association to restrict homeowners from displaying the American flag on their property.

                                                      [–]chandrielle 0 points1 point ago

                                                      There is a giant spider on the side of the house.

                                                      [–]parallelamm 0 points1 point ago

                                                      When I was younger, we lived in a rental property. The owner ran a restaurant right across the street. When zoning wouldn't let him make the yard around the house into a parking lot for his restaurant, he painted the house red white and blue and put stars on the top.. we lived there for almost ten years and it was the most mortifying thing (we lived along a major road and we got made fun of a lot in school).

                                                      [–]DryImpact 0 points1 point ago

                                                      What a bullshit rule. A person should have the right to show patriotism. I'm not american, but still 'MERICA!

                                                      [–]apullin 0 points1 point ago

                                                      http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/sk805/taking_patriotism_to_a_whole_new_level/

                                                      http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/shovd/this_guy_was_told_by_his_homeowners_association/ (same title)

                                                      http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/sgysv/this_guys_neighborhood_told_him_he_couldnt_hang/

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