Vet's Patriotism Under Fire

[Warrior-Mentor]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news...090528_2518563

Vet's Patriotic Stickers Under Fire

Published : Wednesday, 27 May 2009, 10:45 PM CDT

* James Rose

DALLAS - Frank Larison is a disabled veteran with more than 14 years of service, including more than a year of combat duty in Vietnam.

The 58-year-old former Marine now finds himself under attack by his Dallas homeowners association for displaying seven decals on his vehicle supporting the Marine Corps.

"To me, it's being patriotic, and it shows that I served," the veteran told FOX 4.

The board says the decals are advertisements that violate HOA rules, and must be covered or removed.

Otherwise, the homeowners association for The Woodlands II on The Creek --- where Larimore has lived for eight years --- says in a letter it will tow the car at Larimore's expense. The board also threatens to fine him $50 for any future incident.

Larimore says the decals, ranging from the Marine emblem to Semper Fi slogans, aren't advertisements for anything. "You can't buy freedom," he reasoned.

Some neighbors are outraged.

"That is his identity," said neighbor Mary Castagna. "He goes to a lot of the veteran meetings, and it means a lot to him. Everyone else agrees with it; it doesn't bother anybody."

"He's in the Marines, and he's proud of it, and I don't blame him," said neighbor Paul Hardy. "If I'd gone through what he's gone through, I'd be kind of proud of it myself."

The letter from the board states you can't have any form of advertisement anywhere on your car on your property. FOX 4 cameras spotted bumper stickers for political parties, health causes, and other non-commercial interests on the property as well.

One board member said he was unaware the HOA presidents sent the letter and did not know of any issue with Larimore's vehicle.

"I will be looking into it," said board member Art Bradford. "I didn't know anything about this. I haven't seen this."

The board president was out of town and unavailable. The condo management company did not want to comment.

[SF0]

More liberal run HOA idiocy.

[caveman]

Originally Posted by Warrior-Mentor

Some neighbors are outraged.

"That is his identity," said neighbor Mary Castagna. "He goes to a lot of the veteran meetings, and it means a lot to him. Everyone else agrees with it; it doesn't bother anybody."

"He's in the Marines, and he's proud of it, and I don't blame him," said neighbor Paul Hardy. "If I'd gone through what he's gone through, I'd be kind of proud of it myself."

At least his neighbors seem to appreciate his service.

[HOLLiS]

I think if we knew how the HOA contract read it would be useful. Personally a person should read those contracts or have a lawyer do it. One should honor their agreement, that goes for the HOA too.


While emotionally I agree with the person, there may just be more to this issue than is written.

[swpa19]

While emotionally I agree with the person, there may just be more to this issue than is written.

In all liklihood there well may be. But, until other issues are adressed the Marine has a strong case.

FOX 4 cameras spotted bumper stickers for political parties, health causes, and other non-commercial interests on the property as well.

Course, again im no lawyer. Just a good ole boy that lives in the holler by the crick.

[jwt5]

The issue, as reported from the local news, is that someone in the HOA believes the stickers are advertisements. (No one on the board knows WHO though ) However, none of the other residents with bumperstickers have received notices similar to his.

[Saoirse]

And to think that Texas is one of the top 5 Free-est States (http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpol...reest_states_1). I guess somebody needs to notify the HOA. I can understand having some rule/regulations for private communities to keep the riff raff from making the place look like a carnival; however, targeting (and IMHO) of a veteran because they don't like his USMC stickers on his vehicle is discriminitory in my book. I am glad to see that some of his neighbors support him. I believe this will turn out in favor of this Marine and the HOA will end up with egg on their faces.

When I lived in Upstate NY, we owned a home in community that had an HOA. The president lived right across the street from us and would constantly complain about my harley or my ex's harley. He complained about everything we did until one day I confronted him at a HOA meeting and told himi what he could do with his complaints since he had a few rather interesting issues of his own...that clearly violated the HOA rules. He stuck it in his pipe and smoked it! LOL

[Pete]

HOAs

Get involved!

Most HOAs are run by the biggest tight butts in the developement. They get away with murder because most of the residents "don't care". They "don't care" until they're the ones getting the letter.

Get involved.

[Utah Bob]

Friend of mine had the HOA pres tell him he couldn't park his marked state police patrol car at his house or it would be towed. "Go ahead" he said and sure enought they called a tow truck. The truck showed up and the driver got out. "Where's the car?"
The HOA pres pointed to the cruiser. The drivers eyes got real big. he mentioned someting about the pres' momma and left.
The subject never came up again.

You should always read HOA agreements very carefully. I've decided against buying more than one house in those neighborhoods.

[Richard]

Here in Texas, Marines and Aggies and Red Raiders are a proud and loyal bunch who buy vehicles and clothing the colors of their various alma maters - which makes it easy to spot and avoid them - and then go about adding additional stickers, decals, flags, hitch plugs, and other identifying paraphanalia. They're as common as bumble bees in a field of tarweed and nobody pays them much attention.

HOAs have some strange rules and you'd best read the contract you sign before purchasing/leasing a residence because of it all and the headaches it can cause. One rather ritzy HOA around here has a stipulation against parking a pickup in the front of the neighborhood's homes. This is Texas - and there are a lot of pickups around here - and a lot of the pickups are a lot nicer looking and better equipped than many so-called luxury cars. The pickup (an expensive Lincoln Mark LT) issue came forth on the evening news - much like the flag stuff, sticker stuff, etc - when a reporter caught wind of it while twittering with a dwarf escort of questionable age in Havana on a slow news day where nobody was firing rockets at somebody else, no government agency was taking over a business because the government could surely run it more efficiently than its current management team, no wildfires were burning down forests and mansions of those dimwitted enough to not know better than to place them in isolated forest lands to begin with, nobody was threatening a spouse/co-worker/teacher/policeman/etc for failing to yield to their demands for forgiveness when they cut in front of them in line at a Starbucks, no loggers were cutting down trees and threatening any bird/insect/amphibian/fungi/etc, or no singer/actor/director/producer/manager was caught naked in an elevator with a Louis Vuitton handbag full of spike-haired gerbils wearing diamond encrusted collars of forbidden crocodile hide.

I've run into small issues with the small-minded enforcers of a few HOAs in the past and will never live in a neighborhood with such an HOA again.

Richard's $.02

[Gypsy]

If he parks his car in the garage except when it's in use, it can't be towed.

Don't these assclowns have anything better to do?

[jasonglh]

We once lived in such a neighborhood but never again.

The guy next door was a real prick and would not let his own kids play in the front yard he was so anal about it. He would be the first to complain to the HOA if your yard or landscaping didnt suit him.

The last night we lived there someone spelled out dickhead in his yard with 5 gal of Lasso herbicide concentrate the kind you have to have a farm permit for. I hear you have to get the dirt replaced because sod wont even grow on it.