Woman Faces Fine for Supporting Troops (Fla.)

[underpants]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1709692&page=1

WESTCHASE, Fla., March 10, 2006 — When Stacey Kelley's husband, Army Pvt. David Kelley who is serving in Iraq, sent her a cardboard sign expressing support for U.S. troops overseas, she put it up in the yard of her suburban Tampa, Fla., home.

Kelley, 24, never imagined that it would raise controversy, or that she would be threatened with a $100-a-day fine if she refused to take it down.

"I've been in tears. I couldn't believe that they wanted me to take it down," she said.

The Westchase Homeowners Association threatened her with the $100 a day for up to 10 days because the sign is in violation of association rules, but Kelley said she was ready to pay.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Supprot the troops just not here

my god what are things coming to?

[redqueen]

6. Are Homeowner's Associations a recent trend?

You have to agree to their nutty, overly-restrictive rules when you buy a home in one of these hoity toity neighborhoods.

[arcane1]

17. I've been hearing more and more about them in recent years

I'll be damned if I'd live in an area where the colour of my mail-box, or the number of flowers in my garden, would get me fined

besides, who would WANT neighbours like that??????

[Sequoia]

18. What gardens? Not allowed in most gated communities.

We can't have you feeding your family for free. Buy it.

[redqueen]

26. People who enjoy homogenous surroundings?

People with more money than sense?



It's definitely people with aesthetic preferences completely different to mine.

[bbernardini]

28. Mine is okay!

Quite frankly, not all neighborhoods with Homeowners Associations are for rich folks. This is about the most house we'll be able to afford in our area for quite a long time, and it's certainly nothing fancy.

[SledDriver]

10. Hopefully it won't descend into people spitting on them when they return.

n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Count on it, conserviateves will

they alraedy are symbolically... a magnet yes, goods and services, gosh no, that is welfare

[David__77]

2. I'm not too sympathetic.

I don't have a problem with homeowner's associations having rules on signage, paint color, cars on blocks and other things like that, and the rules should be implemented uniformly.

[harpo]

7. I'm glad I don't live where a homeowners association is

[hobbit709]

13. Free speech

that is the issue here. Screw the homeowners association. Most of the homeowners associations that I've known about are a bunch of jackasses anyhow. My brother had a hassle with the one where he lives-they said he didn't keep his yard mowed short enough. He mowed every week but set his mower blades too high for their tender sensibilities. He told them to fuck off and if they wanted to do something about it, he'd see them in court.

[David__77]

25. I understand, that's ridiculous.

But, that said, I'm glad I have a homeowner's association (they are not unreasonable). Across the street, they have no association and there are broken down cars, garbage in driveways and wildly out of control weeds several feet high. I know people don't like the idea of "control" by an association, but I think, within reason, some rules are fine if democratically decided by a resident's committee.

[mondo joe]

32. Nonsense. If you join such an association you consent to its

rules. Doesn't mean you CAN'T challenge them -- but I think it's pretty idiotic to agree to something of your own free choice and then complain about it.

[hobbit709]

39. I would never agree

to any rule that limits my right to free speech and a homeowners assoc has no right to even try.
"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."-Thomas Jefferson. I will fight to the death for the right to say what I want when I want and to whom I want.

[mondo joe]

40. Neither would I. But if you join the association you contractually

agree.

Why agree to something you don't wish to abide by?

[_testify_]

3. I'm walking distance from Westchase

Off-topic, but if she lives in Westchase, she's likely got the $100/day! Some amazing houses in that subdivision!

[Warpy]

4. I promise never to live in a place with a homeowners' association

People wonder why I cling to such a shabby neighborhood in such a bad part of town. I cling to it so my neighbors can have an old car up on blocks while they restore it. I cling to it so my neighbors can put an old love seat out on the porch for a couple of years while they save to buy a wooden bench like mine. I cling to it so that my Mexican neighbors can paint their houses turquoise with purple trim (not as bad as it sounds) or bright yellow instead of the boring brown that is prevalent here. I cling to it so that nobody will complain about the unraked leaves in my yard when I'm not feeling well.

I cling to this area because it's taught me to tolerate other people while they tolerate me.

[redqueen]

9. Aww what a lovely post.

I love the indidvidual styles that shine through in older, NON-homeowner-association-plagued neighborhoods.

[Sequoia]

21. Howdy good neighbor. Porches are great.

I would never buy a house without one. I hate those tiny doors to houses where you can't hang out in front. In the good old days people had big wide porches to sit on and see their neighbors and be friendly. These days everyone has to hide and be afraid. I know a gal who lives in a gated-community condo and she hates that the people actually stand out on their balconies.

[adigal]

42. This is my 5th house - and the first with a real porch

and I cannot imagine how I ever bought a house without one. I hang big baskets from the frame of the porch and my husband and I sit on it in nice weather, sipping a beer or wine, and rocking and talking.

It is a taste of what heaven may be like, sitting, rocking on a porch.

[gratuitous]

5. Don't you people watch the X Files?

The woman is inviting some hideous gorgon creature from the netherworld to destroy her neighborhood with that sign. The terrified homeowners' association can't reveal the real reason, but they trying to protect her!

[jayfish]

12. I'm Believe It Was A Golem. -NT-

Jay

[mark11727]

20. It was an "Ubermenscher"

http://www.redwolf.com.au/xfiles/season06/6abx13.html

Great episode, too.

[Coexist]

8. I lived in Westchase for 5 years -

they cited one of my neighbors for having too much mildew on her mailbox.

In their defense, they offered to make a nice memorial at the Swim and Tennis center.

Here is a much better article from a much better paper:
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/10/Tampabay/_Bring_it_on...

<snip>
Board members had proposed an alternative. They would move her sign to the front of the Westchase Swim and Tennis Center, where Thursday's meeting was held, and display it there, along with a list of deployed and formerly deployed military people from the community.

"We're not saying put it in the shed and get rid of it," said Daryl Manning, president of the board and an Iraq war veteran himself.

"We're saying let it fly. Let if fly where everybody can see it."

Kelley placed the sign in the front yard of her Westchase villa in December. She was notified last month that it violated deed restrictions in the 3,500-home master planned community and would have to come down.

[cally]

11. The head of the homeowner's assoc is an Iraq veteran

If the homeowner's assoc. plans to enforce the rules, then they have to do it uniformly. I think this shouldn't be a question about what the sign says, but instead whether homeowners should be able to put up signs. I put up campaign signs which is against my homeowner's rules. I'm well aware that I may be fined. I just want them to fine everyone who breaks the rules if they do.

[Caoimhe]

14. It's a homeowners assoc. She probably never read them

I honestly see nothing wrong with HA's. If people choose to live in a neighborhood governed by one, they are all agreeing to live by the same rules. She either didn't understand or didn't read the rules when she moved in. Somehow I don't think if the sign had said "Support the troops, bring them home" this would even be a fuss. It's just another attempt to get the pro-war message out there.

My inlaws live in Sun City, AZ.. talk about rules! You can't even park on the street. Garbage cans are underground, the restrictions are unbelievable to me, a small town girl who grew up seeing yards with 20 non operating vehicles strewn around. They admit the rules are strict, but they LIKE the uncluttered, cookie cutter look. It's like an adult Disneyland, nothing out of place. I wouldn't like it, but if you sign on, it's the rule.

PS My MIL said that when they first moved in, they had a flag on the garage. The "rules" stated that you had to take down your flag at night or have it lighted. They were going to get around to getting the light kit for it, but this old nag came over and bitched at them about it, every day for a week. So my MIL said SCREW YOU, and took down the flag altogether. Her little form of protest, I guess.

[underpants]

22. I knew someone who couldn't mulch without approval

approval of the HA board and the landscape architect. I am not kidding she couldn't even put mulch on top of the preexisting mulch.

[Bunny]

23. I agree with you. If people want to live under an HA's rules, which

they do when they sign one of those contracts, then they have to abide by those rules. And those rules have to be uniformly enforced. If they don't like it, they can run for a seat on the HA governing board and attempt to change the rules from within. Otherwise, tough noogies.

I don't think I could ever live under rules like that, I'm way to stubborn to ever let a bunch of busy-body assholes tell me what color my house has to be painted. But it's not likely that I'll ever have enough money to buy into one of those fancy-pants communities anyway, so I guess it really doesn't matter.

[jsamuel]

15. homeowners' association...

geez

[Sequoia]

16. ARCADIA! Be like the others.

http://www.xfroadrunners.com/epimages/season6/arcadia/a...


Gated communities have homeowners associations with strict covenants, contracts and deed restrictions that regulate most aspects of their houses and environment. Many residents find these rules onerous, as was illustrated in an episode of "The X-Files" in which gated community homeowners who didn't toe the line were eaten by a monster.

http://www.commondreams.org/scriptfiles/views03/1219-07...

[Caoimhe]

19. EXTREMELY MISLEADING ARTICLE TITLE

She isn't fined for SUPPORTING the troops, but displaying a yard sign that isn't a real estate sign. Gotta love the MSM.

[Renew Deal]

24. I hate these kinds of rules.

She should have her sign.

[Fleshdancer]

29. Misleading headline BUT this homeowner assoc. sounds ridiculous

Why people join such restrictive associations is beyond me.

[Moody Bluz]

43. The Homeowners' Association where I lived the last time...

complained because I would play with my dog in the front yard after I came home from work.

They complained because my motorcycle was too loud. The complained about the gunfire from my basement when I shot targets.

I was never so happy as when I sold the damned house and moved back to my hometown to care for my parents.

[BushOut06]

30. I heard her on a local RW-talk show yesterday - what a wackjob

She was on the Bud Hedinger show in Orlando (540AM) yesterday afternoon. People brought up the argument that if the HMA allowed her to put up her pro-troops sign, then they would have to allow others to put up anti-war and anti-Bush signs. Her reaction? Oh, I don't want to see those kinds of signs, but why can't they just make an exception for me?

I'm sorry, but after hearing this shit from her own mouth, I lost whatever sympathy I might have once had for her.

[mondo joe]

31. Misleading heading (ABC's fault, not the OP!)

Of course she's not fined for supporting the troops - whatever THAT means.

She's violating her HOA with a sign.

[bluedog]

33. +per usual story didn't mention

Board members had proposed an alternative. They would move her sign to the front of the Westchase Swim and Tennis Center, where Thursday's meeting was held, and display it there, along with a list of deployed and formerly deployed military people from the community.

"We're not saying put it in the shed and get rid of it," said Daryl Manning, president of the board and an Iraq war veteran himself.

"We're saying let it fly. Let if fly where everybody can see it."



And the Sign said "Bring It On"



http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/10/Tampabay/_Bring_it_on...

[ChiciB1]

34. This Is COMMON In Florida...

My daughter lives in a deed restricted area and NO SIGNS mean NO SIGNS.

Before last year's election, she was reported for having Kerry/Edwards signs in her yard and had to remove them. Funny thing though, the people who reported her had Bush/Cheney signs in their yards... so WE reported them!

That didn't go down so well... they actually came after us and told us to leave the neighborhood and used some pretty graphic language to boot!

That's Sarasota County... FOR SURE!

[paineinthearse]

35. A sign inside her window facing the street...

...would be perfectly legal.

But I applaude her for placing it outside.

[Misunderestimator]

36. Suuure they did.

[underpants]

37. Riiiiiight

[realisticphish]

38. God

sometimes I can't believe we're in the same party

[Misunderestimator]

47. lol

[adigal]

41. This is ridiculous - and I bet the assoc. are republicans

They want to support the troops, as long as it does not cost them tax cuts, bodily harm or a messy neighborhood.

I want to sent this woman a letter of encouragment. Any info on local newspaper for LTEs?? Let's point out the hypocrisy of these people.

[Pastiche423]

44. What hypocrisy?

Her homeowner associations states clearly - NO SIGNS.

How is that hypocritical?

[adigal]

45. Because they "support the troops"

until it makes them uncomfortable. Her husband is in Iraq, for chrissakes!!

[Pastiche423]

46. What does her husband being in Irag

have to do w/what their Homeowners Association's contract, that they signed?