Not sure where I stand on this one. What if she had a "Bush Lied..." sign instead ? I don't think that HOA always represent the majority of home owners though.

www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBY9HYLKKE.html

TAMPA - Before David Kelley went to Iraq, he bought his wife a "Support Our Troops" sign to display outside the couple's home in the Westchase subdivision.

When Kelley, an Army private, went overseas in November, Stacey Kelley posted the sign outside their home. For her, the sign is a daily reminder of the sacrifice her husband and fellow soldiers are making.

But officials of Westchase, in northwest Hillsborough County, view the sign differently. They say the 2-foot-high sign violates community rules. Stacey Kelley, 24, received a letter from the homeowners association last month stating she could be fined $100 a day if she does not remove the sign.

"I've been crying and everything since I got that," she said. "It's ridiculous that no one can even show their support."

Deed restrictions prohibit Westchase residents from displaying signs outside their homes except "for sale" or "for rent" notices. Residents get a copy of the rules when they move into the community.

Stacey Kelley, who has lived in the gated Stonebridge neighborhood in Westchase for about five years, said she hasn't received complaints from other residents since putting up the sign more than three months ago.

The red, white and blue ribbon-shaped sign sits back from the street, next to the Kelleys' garage. Inside the house is a room filled with photographs and memorabilia David Kelley, 24, has sent home.

Displaying the sign and photographs is one of the ways Stacey Kelley stays connected to her husband during his two-year tour of duty, she said.

During their rare telephone conversations, Stacey Kelley said, she makes sure to tell her husband about the other signs, bumper stickers and symbols of support she sees.

"If we're showing any kind of support to them, I know they love it so much," she said. "They should never be forgotten."

One person who does understand the significance of the sign, both for Stacey Kelley and the troops, is Westchase homeowners association President Daryl Manning.

As the community's elected leader, Manning must enforce community standards, but as an Army reservist who served in Iraq, Manning is sympathetic to the Kelleys' situation.

"This sign is not offensive to me," Manning said. "In fact, I appreciate the support of the community, because I was one of those troops."

Manning said his personal feelings can't be allowed to trump his responsibility to the community. If Stacey Kelley is allowed to keep her sign, Manning said, there's nothing to prevent other residents from putting up signs that have negative messages about the troops.

Pat Gross, who lives across the street from the Kelleys, walks by the sign every day and says it hasn't stirred political debate in the community. If the association ever were to consider making an exception to its rule, Gross said, this would be the time.

The rule "is there for a reason, but sometimes the reason doesn't make sense," he said.

Neighbor Barbara Mulvihill said the association should be celebrating the sacrifice one of its residents is making, not creating problems for his wife.

"He's fighting for us, all of us," Mulvihill said.

Manning said the homeowners association will address the issue tonight at its monthly board meeting. The board could decide not to fine the Kelleys. Even so, Manning said, the sign likely will have to go.

Stacey Kelley, who plans to attend the meeting, said she's going to follow the advice her husband gave during their last conversation. "He said even if it comes down to paying the fines, he doesn't want to take it down."

HOA = NAZIs

Link this to SteyrAUG would ya.......

yeah i was just going to post this too after seeing it on ehowa.com   i gotta give it to ernie for supporting the troops.... and i am pretty well disgusted that her homeowners association would do such a thing. thats eff'ed up.

Quoted: HOA = NAZIs

Fact

Quoted: Link this to SteyrAUG would ya.......

done

That's just wrong.

The HOA fining them that is.

Is there somewhere I can send them some money?

HOAs are the devil.

What a crock.

We have a nutjob in the villiage here that always has signs in his yard:

"Bush the Murderer"

"No war for oil"

blah, blah, blah

There is a stop sign in front of his house and everytime I stop there I give him the one finger salute, just in case he is looking out his window.

BAN HOAs - for the children!


I'd say you'd have to be a complete idiot to buy a house controlled by neighborhood nannies... but some folks here actually believe it's a good thing.

All I know is I won't be having any part of them shenanigans. I'd rather live in a cardboard box. At least I could paint it any color of my choosing.

If you read the article, you will see that the HOA meets tonight (I think it is tonight) to decide what to do about the issue, if anything.  They realize it is bullshit.  The HOA president is a Marine.

Having lived under a HOA I believe they can regulate the sign even if it's put on the inside of a large window.

Good luck to her.  It would have been better if everyone would've just said "what sign?", and acted like it wasn't there.  Someone, later will ruin it for you when they put up the Pro-Choice signs and claim their "rights".

Maybe she sould put it on her car, both sides and front and back.  A lot more people would see that in a day.

She signed up with the HOA when she bought the house, now she has to play by the rules.

I have no sympathy for those that sign a contract then bitch when they have to follow its procedures.


moral: Follow Steyr's lead and don't join a HOA. Or if you do, become the president like I did .

Quoted: She signed up with the HOA when she bought the house, now she has to play by the rules. I have no sympathy for those that sign a contract then bitch when they have to follow its procedures. moral: Follow Steyr's lead and don't join a HOA. Or if you do, become the president like I did .

Same here.
While I feel the HOA is acting in poor taste, they are within their rights.
You signed up to play by their rules, which is why I will not live in an HOA neighborhood.

Do you give up your freedom of speech rights when you belong to a HOA?  I would fight this claiming that it a protected political statement.

Quoted: Do you give up your freedom of speach rights when you belong to a HOA?  I would fight this claiming that it a protected political statement.

But then you get into the issue of what if everyone starts putting up "Bush Lied", "Gay Pride", "Black Power", "I Waiting for the Mothership to Land" signs. Pretty soon the neigborhood looks like crap.

I guess the bottom line is that if you don't like the HOA, don't buy a home there. If you already have a home and don't like what the HOA is doing, rally the neigbors together and join the HOA to change them.

Quoted: Do you give up your freedom of speech rights when you belong to a HOA?  I would fight this claiming that it a protected political statement.

Freedom of speech does not extend to the private sector. The government is not forcing her to take down the sign.

Civics 101.

BUT BUT BUT... I BET ALL THEIR LAWNS ARE CUT REAL PURTY!!!

Fuck HOAs.

Quoted: Do you give up your freedom of speech rights when you belong to a HOA?  I would fight this claiming that it a protected political statement.

Do you lose your ability to read before you join? If you don't like the rules, buy/build somewhere else. Or be prepared to accept the consequences if you refuse to follow them.

Quoted: She signed up with the HOA when she bought the house, now she has to play by the rules. I have no sympathy for those that sign a contract then bitch when they have to follow its procedures. moral: Follow Steyr's lead and don't join a HOA. Or if you do, become the president like I did .

+1

HOA are a great thing for the most part. They keep continuity in the neighborhood. There is, with
rare exception; a reasonable HOA board of "normal thinking individuals" that review HOA policies
and changes are not that difficult to implement.

Why move to an area with a HOA?

Sounds like our HOA.

We rec'd a letter for putting our trash out too early the night before garbage pickup.  I was periodically putting stuff out near the curb while doing yardwork (read: half day event).  

I didn't memorize my HOA Deed Restrictions by heart but I didn't think that I had to haul off 6 months worth of trimmings from 6 Fully Grown Oaks, a Fully Grown Pine and 2 Fully Grown Maple's to some "?" location prior to placing them according to HOA timing, out near the street?  If I had left them sitting in the yard too long, I would have gotten a letter for that as well.

Deed restrictions prohibit Westchase residents from displaying signs outside their homes except "for sale" or "for rent" notices. Residents get a copy of the rules when they move into the community.

Hang the sign in the front window.  Inside the house = legal, tell the HOA to fuck off.

+1 on HOA's being the devil.