Whether the HOA wants to maintain an aesthetic feel to the neighborhood, or it aims to reduce inflammatory gestures meant to divide, is there anything an HOA can do to enforce or restrict flag use? Creating HOA Rules Regarding Flag UseĪs with most HOA issues, the first thing the HOA needs to think about is whether there is anything in the existing CC&Rs which relates to the display of flags specifically or other types of outdoor ornament or decoration. But the reality is that flying flags in a shared community can go beyond patriotism to being an eyesore or annoyance in some cases (think the out-of-towner who insists on flying his huge, gaudy alma mater flag that just happens to be the rivals of the hometown favorites) or meant as a divisive, intimidating gesture to others (think flying a Nazi flag). Did you ever hear the internet rumor about the HOA that told a homeowner he couldn’t fly his American flag because it offended his neighbors, and so he painted his entire lawn as the stars-and-stripes to get back at the HOA while displaying his patriotism? It turns out that, like a lot of internet rumors, it was an online hoax (there is a photo of a man who painted a lawn as an American flag but it was done as a welcome-home gesture for a returning Marine).
