Veteran Larry Murphfree from Jacksonville, FL was fined $8000 and had a foreclosure lien placed on his home for putting a small American flag in his flowerpot – even though he had a legal right to do so. If he doesn’t pay within 30 days he might lose his home.
“I want it to go away. It’s such a minor little thing and they keep coming after me,” he explained.
“They” is Murphree’s homeowner’s association. He’s lived in the Sweetwater community for years, and been at odds with the HOA for more than two. All over a flag. The veteran decided to put one in his flower pot, and has been fined as a result.
“They just sent me a letter that says I owe them around $8,000 and they put a foreclosure lien on my house,” he continued.
Action News wanted to know how that’s possible, so we took our questions to legal and safety expert Dale Carson.
“There’s an actual Florida statute that says he can display this flag,” Carson said.
Federal law from 2005 also backs that up. We reached out to the law office that reprsents the HOA and got attorney Michelle Haines. She tells me if payment is not made within 30 days, the law office can move forward with foreclosure on Murphree’s home. – See more at: http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/veteran-may-lose-home-over-flag-fight/ngRCt/#sthash.OTe76VXL.dpuf
This is one of the most disgusting un American things I have heard of. When are we going to get a president who will protect our rights and stand up for us and not the Muslims!
Thank you Alan for that brilliant contribution to the conversation. Though since, as you pointed out, I am stupid…could you please explain to me what makes me a liberal just because I pointed out that Grown Ups should Honor Contracts?
All Homeowner’s $#%&!@*ociations need to be abolished! If you own a home, you are free to do what you please with it! You don’t need a bunch of whiny, narrow minded control freaks telling what you can or can’t do!
Ask yourself this question what would I do in this case.
Then don’t sign the contract and agree to their rules. It’s really pretty simple.
I would publicly ridicule this HOA, what a bunch of d..ks. I wondering how they have the authority to impose an $8000 fine also,
That’s what you get when you sign on the dotted line with a HOA. He chose to enter into that contract with all its ridiculous rules.
Don Johnson If they don’t exist, then there wouldn’t need to be any idiotic rules, like no American flags in a flower pot! Makes it even simpler, not to mention less expensive!
True, but still uncalled for and petty…
yep