Category Archives: Flags

Flags, Litigation

Larry Murphree

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Larry Murphree

In the land of the free and the brave, the brave are having a hard time being free in their HOA controlled homes.  In some associations there is always someone willing to inspect private property, searching for any perceived violation no matter how ridiculous.  Almost a decade ago one of the condo spies spied a flag, a small flag, a really small flag in a flowerpot on the front porch of a homeowner, and they were off and running.  The violation notices and threat letters started arriving in the mailbox, followed by fines and expensive legal warnings from the HOA attorneys.  Yes, you know who they are.  When will they stop harassing and abusing Americans, especially veterans, for flying a flag? When will we realize that there are serious health issues associated with living under an HOA microscope and all the associated stress? When will this insanity stop?

Larry Murphree joins us On The Commons.  Larry committed the ultimate sin by placing a small US flag  in his flower pot on his front porch. Sweetwater condo association was quick to let him know that there was “an unapproved object in his flower pot”.  As you can imagine, Larry was rightly offended.  His flag was NOT an “unapproved object”. We talk to Larry about his life in Sweetwater Condo, the constant harassment, the abuse, the nitpicking and the pettiness and the sheer stupidity that is part and parcel of a bad HOA.  There are a lot of really funny stories about life in his petty association in general.  And then we learn about his current home. Tune in for some great giggles, then on Monday, February 24th head on over to Duval County Court House at 9 AM for what we hope will be his final hearing.  Go and support him.  Remember, there is strength in numbers.  

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Flags

Larry Murphree

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Larry Murphree

“Home is the starting place of love, hope and dreams” it is also a place to be safe and express our own personalities. A nd “home is where our story begins” or perhaps, where it continues today. 

Larry Murphree joins us On The Commons.  Larry, an Air Force veteran, who, like all the other veterans, laid his life on the line to protect the country and the flag that  he so loves .  Not a terribly difficult concept to understand, is it?  In fact it is a lot easier to comprehend than the complex and convoluted concept of a private home being forced into a residential association that is subject to the whims, thuggery and control of the others. 

And Larry’s home is where Larry’s story begins. To show his love for his country and for his fellow troops that he shares so much with, 7 years ago Larry put a small flag in his flowerpot on his porch.  As you may know, flags and pink flamingos anywhere in an HOA controlled property is  somewhat akin to waving a red flag in front of a bull.  The reaction from the association is as swift, brutal and often  as violent as that of a massive charging bull – except unlike a dumb bull, HOAs know exactly what they are doing, and Larry’s HOA was no exception. First came the violation letter, “There is an unapproved object in your flowerpot” followed by the threats then the fines and the misdirected assessments, the name calling, the public shaming, and of course the never-ending nitpicking, harassment and abuse, liens and foreclosure.  All this has been going on for over 7 years and instead of finally stopping, it continues.  Larry’s next court date is next week.  

Isn’t it time America woke up and realized that HOAs are doing more harm than good?  It is time to pull the plug on HOAs.  Time to go back to private property being truly private and home being the place where families and loved ones are allowed to be themselves, where love, hope and dreams live.

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Flags

Richard Oulton

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Richard Oulton and Virginia Delegate John McGuire

Life throws obstacles in front of us all the time, but only the strongest and most dedicated refuse to roll over, regardless of the time or the cost involved in honoring a promise.  

Richard Oulton joins us On The Commons.  Richard was a Navy Corpsman assigned to the Marines of the First Battalion of the Ninth Marine Regiment and served on the front lines in Vietnam.  His battalion  sustained the longest combat in the history of the United States Marines.   In the process they suffered the highest death rate in the Marine corps’ history, earning the nickname of “The Walking Dead”. The fact that Richard could not save all his wounded “boys” as he calls them, affected him deeply.  When he came home he brought the flag that he had flown over his bunker with him promising “his boys” he would never forget them. Twenty years ago when the flag first flew on a shiny new flagpole in his front yard the local HOA reared its ugly head.  As I said, the strongest and most dedicated refuse to roll over regardless of cost and time when it comes to keeping a promise.  Tune in for an incredible story of love, dedication and determination.  

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Richard at Flag Raising
Flag Raising Ceremony

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Abuse, Flags

Larry Murphree

Larry Murphree

When the forces of evil succeed in kicking individual and property rights under the rug, then start playing word games trying to explain how you never really had those rights in the first place, it is time to take the kid gloves off.   

Everything about HOAs makes my blood boil but nothing has enraged me quite as much as the way a homeowner was treated by the very industry that sucks the life out of our homes, our families, our communities and destroys our peace of mind.  This has to stop!  While the catalyst for today’s story may have been a small flag, this is not about a flag but about our rights as homeowners and our right to live in peace in our homes.  

Larry Murphree joins us On The Commons.  Larry, an Air Force veteran, updates us on his battle with his condominium board and the industry attorneys who advise them on how to mistreat and abuse the homeowners.  The battle has been raging for over 7 years and still goes on.  We’ll talk to Larry and get the details of how his decision to move into a condo has adversely affected his life and his bank account.  Of all the horrors, abuses and invasion of one’s privacy, none even come close to the offensive treatment at the hand of a board and it’s attorney hell bent on destroying an owner and robbing him of all he has spent a lifetime working for.  All this is being done legally.  Legislators, are you listening?

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Fighting Back, Flags

John McGuire

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John McGuire

Bruised, abused, mocked, harassed, dejected and frustrated, homeowners in HOAs have tried to fight back. They have been sued, fined, ridiculed, outgunned and left standing alone in a sea of their neighbors, homeowners like themselves too terrified to even talk to them lest they find themselves in the crosshairs of the HOA.  Over the years I have talked to and witnessed some of these homeowners as they start an organization to fight the injustices of HOAs only to end up fighting amongst themselves.  Their vision of taming the HOA monster evaporating into thin air. Could part of the problem be the lack of teamwork?  Are they listening to each other or shouting over each other? Is the key to real reform as simple as listening?

John McGuire joins us On The Commons. John, a Virginia delegate has one of the most amazing and inspiring personal stories I have yet to come across.  When all the odds seemed to be against him, John fought and earned one of the coveted spots as a Navy Seal, despite being told he couldn’t do it. Later he defied the odds again and survived a life threatening accident, learned to walk and to write his name – again.  Incredibly none of what he went through in life convinced him he couldn’t do something.  Being told he couldn’t do something was the impetus he needed to prove them wrong. John strongly believes in teamwork and like every good leader, gives credit to his team.  I heard about John when he managed to help resolve a 20 year HOA horror story.  We’ll get to know John personally and learn about his philosophy, talk about the problems in HOAs and start looking at different ways of dealing with the problems millions of American homeowners face nationwide.  

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Team Work

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Abuse, Condominium, Flags

Larry Murphree

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When the forces of evil succeed in kicking individual and property rights under the rug, then start playing word games trying to explain how you never really had those rights in the first place, it is time to take the kid gloves off.   

Everything about HOAs makes my blood boil but nothing has enraged me quite as much as the way a homeowner was treated by the very industry that sucks the life out of our homes, our families, our communities and destroys our peace of mind.  This has to stop!  While the catalyst for today’s story may have been a small flag, this is not about a flag but about our rights as homeowners and our right to live in peace in our homes.  

Larry Murphree joins us On the Commons.  Larry, an Air Force veteran, updates us on his battle with his condominium board and the industry attorneys who advise them on how to mistreat and abuse the homeowners.  The battle has been raging for over 7 years and still goes on.  We’ll talk to Larry and get the details of how his decision to move into a condo has adversely affected his life and his bank account.  Of all the horrors, abuses and invasion of one’s privacy, none even come close to the offensive treatment at the hand of a board and it’s attorney hell bent on destroying an owner and robbing him of all he has spent a lifetime working for.  All this is being done legally.  Legislators, are you listening?

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Abuse, Civil Rights, Flags

Larry Murphree

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Have you noticed how often the phrase, “it protects property values” is used to justify the most ridiculous behavior in homeowner associations? It is a one size fits all excuse or explanation for the bizarre, ludicrous, absurd, wacky and outrageous shenanigans by so called kommunity leaders. Over the years we have heard it all – unapproved garden hoses, too many rose bushes, a driveway that is three inches wider than approved, a pudgy pooch or a rogue bird feeder. The list is endless.

It will come as no surprise to you then that at The Tides Condominium at Sweetwater in Florida fully grown adults sat around one day and came up with “flowerpot rules”. When it comes to property values, you see, nothing is too insignificant for these selfless altruists who give so freely of their time and expertise to determine what you can put in your flowerpot. Kompliance with konformity in kondos is of utmost concern as you might have guessed, and violators are sought and penalized lest they devalue property.

Joining us On The Commons is Larry Murphree. Larry lives in Jacksonville, Florida where, by the largess of the kondo leaders, he is allowed to have a flowerpot but the tiny flag tucked in with his flowers is verboten. His flagrant disregard of the rules got him a letter from the kondo kommandos notifying him that there is an “unauthorized object” in his flowerpot. When Larry refused to remove the flag, passionately believing in his 1st Amendment rights as well as his right to have it there, he was fined $100 a day for protecting his rights. Florida law allows fines up to $1000 (bless their hearts) but through some very creative accounting, the kondo threatened to foreclose on Larry’s unit to collect $8000 they alleged he owed. Please join us to learn the details of this absurd situation, find out what the most recent law suit filed by the kondo sought and what the local realtors have to say about why buyers are not beating a path to this particular project’s gate. Also, check out Larry’s website at http://letmeflytheflag.com

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Arrests, Constitutional Rights, Flags, Homeowner Meetings, Vandalism

Billy Martin

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Proponents of homeowner associations would have us believe that HOAs are “democracy up close and personal”.  They insist the owners have more control over the neighborhood than they otherwise would and being neighbors, the leadership would be of the kinder, gentler variety than the further removed, less personal municipal government could provide. They’ve got part of it right, anyway.  HOAs can be extremely  “up close and personal” and that is not a good thing.  As for democracy,  it is almost nonexistent in kontrolled kommunities around the country.  

Neighbors and community members can be a little too close for comfort when it comes to providing any kind of governance that is needed to run a development.  Personality clashes, personal feelings and long standing friendships/animosities are more than likely to interfere with any requirement for fair dealing.  This lack of neutrality and imbalance of power can make life inside the borders of associations a living hell.

Joining us On The Commons this week is Billy Martin.  Billy lives in a townhouse development in Houston, Texas where his first battle with the HOA was over a flag. The issue wasn’t whether or not he had the right to fly the flag but a dispute over the placement of the flag.  It went to court and Billy won.  The judge agreed that the flag was on private property and not HOA controlled property.  That, however, is not the end of the story.  What happened next is terrifying. (See News Story) We will talk to Billy and find out what he discovered when he came home from a trip and found his house had been vandalized.

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