Veteran Larry Murphfree from Jacksonville, FL was fined $8000 and had a foreclosure lien placed on his home for putting a small American flag in his flowerpot – even though he had a legal right to do so. If he doesn’t pay within 30 days he might lose his home.
“I want it to go away. It’s such a minor little thing and they keep coming after me,” he explained.
“They” is Murphree’s homeowner’s association. He’s lived in the Sweetwater community for years, and been at odds with the HOA for more than two. All over a flag. The veteran decided to put one in his flower pot, and has been fined as a result.
“They just sent me a letter that says I owe them around $8,000 and they put a foreclosure lien on my house,” he continued.
Action News wanted to know how that’s possible, so we took our questions to legal and safety expert Dale Carson.
“There’s an actual Florida statute that says he can display this flag,” Carson said.
Federal law from 2005 also backs that up. We reached out to the law office that reprsents the HOA and got attorney Michelle Haines. She tells me if payment is not made within 30 days, the law office can move forward with foreclosure on Murphree’s home. – See more at: http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/veteran-may-lose-home-over-flag-fight/ngRCt/#sthash.OTe76VXL.dpuf
Counter sue now!
he should file a law suit against those threatening him ..there are good attorneys that will help him ..I hope through this facebook page
$#%&!@*ing disgusting, I’d love to know who is doing this and spend my next 50 years on this planet $#%&!@*ing them over
Someone needs to start a donation fund to pay this off for this patriot
Those that have prevented showing the colors should be seized and flogged.
So America is banned from it’s own flag?How even…
where are our stand up Lawyers in times like these?, it would take a good one less than an hour to STOP this BULL$#%&!@*, yet where are they?
This $#%&!@* is why I’m againt HOAs.
In the first place what service did the HOA provide to him that allow them to put an arbitrary lien on his property? What kind of idiot lawyer would even represent them against one of the very men who fought for the right of the HOA to exist? What do the CC7R’s say that he signed when he moved in……..did they specify no flags? This whole thing stinks to high heaven and a list of these HOA members who voted for harassing a veteran and putting a lien on his property should be made public all over this land! Bunch of idiots!
They should be paying him for putting up with such nonsense.