I understand apartment buildings have rules but really???

OSHKOSH - Americans will proudly fly the flag this Memorial Day Weekend. But a soldier and his wife from Oshkosh have been ordered to remove Old Glory from their apartment dining room window.


28-year-old Charlie Price served in both Kosovo and Iraq, and his wife Dawn says the flag honors his service and those who served with him. It’s been hanging from their dining room window since last Veterans’ Day. But their landlord – Midwest Realty Management – says it violates the firm’s policy against displaying flags, banners, and political-or-religious items. And if the Prices don’t remove it by Saturday, they’ll be evicted.


The management firm told the Oshkosh Northwestern says the policy is meant to provide a quote, “comfortable and consistent living environment for all apartment residents” without offending anyone. But the firm did say it respects the military. Dawn Price told the paper she has bought a curtain to darken the flag, because a lawsuit would be expensive to fight and she’d probably lose anyway. Still, she plans to ask Congress to protect apartment-dwellers under a law that prohibits condo-and-homeowners’ associations from banning the American flag. The law was passed in 2005 after some condo residents ran into similar problems – but it does not protect renters.

It happens very often. I was briefed I was unable to fly my flag on my front porch in NV because of the Home Owner's Assn.

So I ran for president, won and changed that sh!t.

It shows how our Democratic (Republic) society has allowed our legal appendage to excel in power, far more than our brave military members who made their existence possible.

It's times like these when I wished I could move to Idaho...

V
OUT

I heard on the news that they could fly a flag, it just couldn't be in their window.  NOTHING can be in the window...no signs, banners, etc.


This fact to me makes it less of an issue.

Agreed... They rent... they have to abide by the rules or do what Variable did, and they did not sound like they wanted to fight it...so it is what it is....

How would anyone feel if some one was flying a Taliban flag( I know.. I know, there isn't one). If not for the renter;s rule.. they could.

I think the rule sucks and I would move, but everyone makes choices... The rule is a simple chickenshit rule that is a knee jerk reaction the fuckin Sue happy society we created for ourselves.... were just reaping what we as a society have sewn for ourselves... The fact that some one has to have a rule like that is telling...

I read opposite, they couldn't do anything with it inside or out. It also referenced a flag flying act that doesn't allow HOA's to prohibit but didn't apply to renters [per the story: The federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 states no residential real estate association can stop someone from flying the American flag, but that law doesn't apply to renters.]



It helps to see the picture and realize how ridiculous this is. Could be called a curtain as far as I am concerned.



I understand where the general rule came from and why –– it is a slippery slope with tenants. But the American Flag? Of course, one might have to agree that as the owner of the property, they get to dictate what is in that contract and therefore it is what it is. On the other hand, laws prohibit certain things from being prohibited by contract (such as the race of the tenants). Less Government is always better but in this case, it would be nice to have laws to defend these folks. Sticky.



All that said, this sentence from the property manager's statement sums up to me what the hell is wrong with this company (and too many people these days) and why they need a swift kick in the ass. IT IS AMERICA, THE FLAG REPRESENTS WHERE YOU LIVE, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, LEAVE. GTFO.



"This policy was developed to insure that we are fair to everyone as we have many residents from diverse backgrounds." - Randy Rich, Property Manager, Midwest Realty Management




Variable is right –– only you can take action and make change. Take some time and do something tomorrow to make this country a better place.

Money talks and BS walks.  They could do the same thing....even on private property.  Get a petition signed by everyone in the building asking the management to allow American flags.  If the management refuses even after than it's simple....move.  In this crappy rental economy an apt owner is not going to want to lose renters over something like this....unless of course they are crappy tenants.

I'm guessing this is not about the American flag and this rule started when all the different NASCAR flags were big. Makes a property look like shit with all the Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr/Sr fans displaying their colors.  It's a rental property, play by the rules, you signed a contract.

paint the american flag onto the blinds so when they are closed old glory can fly. It is no longer a flag, and if the association doesnt like colored blinds they can pass a new rule.

what happened to being proud to be an American??

Being proud to be an American is not politically correct.  We should be proud to be world citizens and bow down to the United Nations!!!!

sorry, tinfoil hat is on extra tight today!

IMHO the flag should not be used as a drape anyway.  This is not about the flag it's about making the place look like white trash.

Let me come at this from the perspective of a landlord and as a former Home Owners Association (HOA) President.

From the landlord's angle, I prohibit the display of any signs or banners on the property without permission.  I did this because tenants were using random flags (not US) instead of buying drapes or blinds, because they put up all sorts of weird political stuff that pisses off half of the community and leads to vandalism of MY property, and because experience shows that they rarely take care of stuff after it has been put up and/or leave it up past expiration (political signs still up in Jan when the election was last Nov, etc.).

As a former HOA president, the original rules prohibited everything.  But these were home OWNERS in a exurban area inside of a GATED community.  Like Variable, enforcement of certain rules pissed me off to the point that I did a hostile takeover of the board and became President.  My first act was to revoke a hair over 1/3 of the rules.  That ended the ban on flag flying, the posting of signs at or under a certain size (with an exemption for ANY size sign for 7 consecutive days or less and active Realtor/for sale signs), and ended the ban on home occupations.*  Still, 2/3 of the rules were kept in place.  Those were the rules that involved your neighbors.  Basically, I was all for doing what you wanted so long as you didn't screw with your neighbors or their property values.

*So have I ever told anybody about how Distinction Arms got its start..?  

Any how, I understand the apartment managers' position.  However, they're forgetting rule #1–– CONSIDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE BLINDLY INVOKING RULES.  Certain things can - and should - be overlooked.  This was one of them.  Back in the beginning, I would've either overlooked the violation or offered to have a professional huge flag pole put in that they could tend in exchange for "not using the flag as a drape."  None of this would've ever happened and life would've been good.

Zero tolerance means zero brains.

Mike

It should be illegal to make flying the American Flag Illegal anywhere in the USA!

Apparently the Company got so much grief thru the internet that they changed there minds and let them fly it all the time.. sorry, Don't have a link.... something like over 4000 + emails......

From the property management web site <good job those who contacted them!!!> :

Notice

We are pleased to announce that we have come to a mutual agreement with the Prices that allows them to keep their American flag.

We would like to apologize to the Prices and to all American veterans. It was never our intention to hurt the Prices or disrespect what Mr. Price and all veterans have sacrificed for each and every one of us.

We have learned from this situation and will be revising our policy to allow our residents to honor America and display the American flag in a manner similar to the Prices.

Again we apologize to the Prices and anyone else who was offended by our actions. It is our sincere hope that our apology will be accepted and the changes we are making will be beneficial to our company and our residents.

Good ending.

I just put an American flag up at my apartment building...no flak so far

good job its nice to see somebody actually do something instead of just bitching.