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Homeowners Association’s Crackdown on Obama Lawn Sign Tears Community Apart: ‘It’s Like We Weren’t Living in America’

Feb. 11, 2013 7:53am Billy Hallowell

Many housing developments have homeowners associations (HOA) that impose strict rules and regulations. While some of the stipulations seem silly, abiding by them is a necessity for those who wish to live within these groups’ bounds. A Fairfax, Va., family learned this lesson after they posted a yard sign in support of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential run and the board ruled that it violated HOA standards. What resulted was an epic legal battle between the Farran family and the housing authority — one that inevitably led the board to bankruptcy, splintering the community and creating ongoing division among its residents.

While there is certainly no ban on the placement of political signs at Olde Belhaven, the development at the center of the debate, the placard that was posted by Sam and Maria Farran was four inches taller than allowed by the rules and regulations. When the board approached the family in the heat of the highly-contentious election season and told them to remove the Obama sign, the Farrans decided to simply cut the placard in half, with one side reading “OBA” and the other reading “MA.”

The couple knew that their signs were too large, but they felt that the attack was, more than anything else, an assault on free speech. As they doubled-down with their sign-cutting prank, the board, too, geared up for a fight. After passing a rule that residents in violation of HOA policies could be fined up to $900.00, the situation intensified.

Obama Yard Sign Sparks Fight Between Sam and Marcia Farran and Olde Belhaven Homeowners Association

Photo Credit: Flickr/animantis

The Farrans believed that the fining action was illegal, however HOA leaders held that they were entirely within their bounds to take such action against the family. After the fine was levied and the board subsequently rejected the family’s proposed deck and roof projects, Sam and Marcia decided to take action. They sued, arguing that the fines were not legal and that the projects they proposed were rejected out of retaliation over the Obama sign debacle.

“It’s like we weren’t living in America,” Maria told the Washington Post. “You are always one board election away from a tyranny. They wield enormous power.”

The Post has more about the legal battle’s ongoing impact on the community:

The legal fight consumed Olde Belhaven.

The Farrans said HOA backers told them to move. They found bullets in their yard. Someone implored a priest at their church to prevail on the Farrans to stop the lawsuit. A local real estate agent said the infighting was scaring off some home buyers.

“It was a crusade,” a supporter of the Farrans said.

On the other side, board members said that the Farrans were unreasonable and that they declined numerous offers to begin settlement discussions. And as the case ground on, the HOA increased dues from $650 a year to about $3,500, mostly to cover legal fees.

The board’s former president, Jim LeBlanc, said the situation put a strain on some elderly residents living on fixed incomes. “Some had their health impacted,” LeBlanc said. “There’s a sense of, what is it going to take to resolve this? This was a tragic nightmare.”

Of course, there are two sides to every story. Just as the HOA claims to made attempts to settle, so do the Farrans. Both sides clearly believed that they were in the right, though, leaving little room for negotiation and agreement. The stalemate brought the entire community into the ugly battle — one that has financially-ruined the HOA.

In 2010, the Farrans won their case surrounding the fines and in 2011, a judge ruled that the decision to reject the deck and roof was improper, because the determination was made at a closed meeting that didn’t follow protocol. In the end, the HOA was forced to pay the Farrans’ legal fees as well as hundreds of thousands of their own court costs. To settle these debts and stay afloat, the HOA has been forced to put the community square, land where residents would gather to celebrate holidays and have picnics, up for sale.

Currently, the sale of this land is up in the air and the board is in bankruptcy. Residents hope that a sense of community will return, but, for now, the debate that was sparked over an Obama yard sign has left Olde Belhaven fractured.

(H/T: The Atlantic)

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Comments (236)

glockrussman
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:51am
The maddening fact is our property should be respected as sovereign, unfortunately too many idiots can’t decipher BETWEEN what’s appropriate and what’s obnoxious.
http://www.killingusbydegrees.com power to the American Nationalist

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Whatmeworry-never
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:51am
Funny thing is when they said, “You are always one election away from Tyranny”. I love lefties always complaining about conservatives being tyranical. I have a couple points of contention:
1.. Home owners knew the rules and violated them–typical lefty mentality
2. Did the HOA go around to all the houses and measure all sing and were they in compliance.
3. Since the homeowners had more money than the HOA they did the typical lefty tactic of bankrupting the enemy and plowing the road of opposition.

I for one will never live in a HOA area as no-one is going to tell me what type of mail box, color of paint I can use, fence type, etc if I own my property and am not violating any zoning laws.

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Tom21773
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:42am
‘“It’s like we weren’t living in America. You are always one board election away from a tyranny. They wield enormous power.”’ – WOW! That’s rich, coming from an obama supporter. A typical obama supporter, too; at some point they knew full well that their non-cooperation was destroying a business enterprise and they gleefully continued. (Not that I side with the HOA. Most are extremely corrupt and run by amateurs. The reason most succeed is because they are simply another level of goverment-style authority ruling at gun point.)

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perry1980
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:37am
HOA’s have too much power. But if you know the sign is in violation then you are as stupid as they are

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Brainmuffin
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:35am
The support Obama and complain about tyranny? That’s too funny.

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LouisianaPatriot
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:35am
This article must be satire, because I know that there are no supporters of Barack Obama who could possibly have an issue with Oppression, Tyranny or the concept of losing your Liberty and being controlled. Otherwise, they would NEVER be a supporter of Barack Obama.

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TheOldeCrow
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:32am
I workd in a bedroom community , reknowned for it’s HOA’s {I E : Novi, Mich.} You literally had to deal with feifdoms galore to get anything done.[worked for city engineers]
Why would anyone buy a house, knowing that it’s not really theirs to do inconsequential things with ?
After over 20 years in dealing with this crud, I never understood surrendering your property rights and still do not.

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Tigress1
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:23am
There’s an idiot in every neighborhood. This neighborhood knows where their idiot lives!

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Jaynie59
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:23am
Conservatives could learn a valuable lesson from this story. If the situation had been reversed and the homeowner had put up a McCain/Palin sign that violated the size rules and the HOA told them to remove it, they would have removed it. It might get some attention, but not much.

Ah, but the agrieved party was liberal. Liberals fight to the death. They never give up. Never stop attacking, will do anything to defeat the other side because the other side is Evil with a capiatl E and MUST be defeated at all costs.

Until conservatives get that through their thick skulls this country is doomed.

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ledbythnose
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:22am
This is why we don’t live in Town. We live in a wooded area with no HOA and we have Chickens, Rabbits, wild Hogs and Deer in abundance. Our Neighbors have Horses and Cows and we haven’t seen a single OBAMAO sign anywhere. We don’t fight each other or sue each other . In fact we are forming a Community Militia to fight off this very kind of Tomfoolery.

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Grand design
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:21am
Never buy property where the “House Nazi’s” have control over your life!

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Saff SGT
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:11am
In my area most of the obama signs went to the firing ranges for free targets to shoot at. Cost was paid by liberals which was good. Recycling has benefits

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- ledbythnose
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:54am
  Good call SAFF SGT. We would have done the same thing but couldn’t find any OBAMA signs anywhere. He isn’t very popular in this Town of 3500. I think his followers are afraid to get in the Woods with us.LOL
  
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Todd Decker
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:07am
I live in a condo complex, so EVERYTHING has to be approved by the HOA before I can do it when it comes to the exterior of my property. They don’t allow yard signs of any kind. If one puts a sign up in the window, there’s no problem (For Sale; For Rent; political signs; No Soliciting; etc.). The only signs allowed in external areas are those tiny ones stating the unit is protected by a security system.

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searcher619
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:07am
I always found it ridiculous that “homeowners associations” even exist. You BUY your home and you STILL aren’t free to do what you like with your new home w/o their approval.

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- Tigress1
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:28am
  They exist because a) some people like being told what to do. b) they have lived in neighborhoods before where the people let their property turn into trash. c) they like paying dues. d) they are snobs and think it is the “elite” way of doing things. e) they enjoy the politics and power of it, and hope being on the decision board will enhance their resume.
  
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- LouisianaPatriot
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:38am
  Tigress1: You hit the nail on the head… “some people like being told what to do.”
  
  Because some people can’t run their own lives… they are bringing us all down to their level. I am so glad that so many people are now realizing what is going on. I am one of the ones who was very blind to this whole Progressive movement over the last 50 or 60 years.
  
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- Tom21773
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:21am
  You all missed the real reason – some people don’t want to live in neighborhoods with cars up on cinder blocks and enormous RVs parked in the driveway. They don’t want to pull onto their street and see neglected houses falling down or half-finished rehabs. Or chartreuse siding. I own a rental house on a street that looks much like pictures my father took during WWII of cities he went into after they were bombed. That house is worth far less than the same house in a neighborhood with a bankrupt HOA would. I’ll trade with any of the owners in that development. Sadly, the rules almost always get out of control and the elected officials let power go to their heads. I happy medium is needed.
  
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Saff SGT
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:07am
I hate Obama as much as I do HOAs. Im glad they got destroyed they are bossy bastards and have no place in America. The 1st amendment is more important than a group who want power to boss folks around. All the rest of the HOAS in USA need to be destroyed.

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MrObamablows
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:06am
Good for them not letting the idiots put up a Odumber sign! Someone has the teach the idiots they screwed up and voted in retards!

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americangrammy
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:01am
We moved to the country 20 years ago. A few years ago the land around ours was sold to a developer who promptly turned it into a suburban hell complete with HOA. We have a farmlet with farm dogs and land that we keep wooded. Two of the idiots on the board tried a land grab from us for whatever reason insisting that our plat was wrong. Never seen such bullying in my life! Ultimately they had to pay hundreds of dollars to have a survey, which proved that our plat was correct. Wasted money that the people living there had to shell out.
I pray every day that I’m never so unfortunate as to be required to live in a “community” with an HOA!

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watashbuddyfriend
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:00am
See! You gotta ‘watch the other hand!’

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GONE_SOVEREIGN
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:58am
The HOA just didn’t want the property values to drop. Let’s be honest, who would want to live next to a BO supporter!

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huey6367
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:55am
Liberals – making America better for all (at everyone else’s expense).

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BODYBAG
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:55am
The Barry effect.

“When the Jews return to Zion, and a comet fills the sky, and the holy Roman Empire rises, then you and I must die. From the eternal sea he rises, creating armies on either shore, turning man against his brother, until man exists no more. “

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independentvoteril
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:54am
Why would ANY American who believes in FREEDOM live in an area with a HOA ???? Its a government within a government.. and one that is paid for monthly be the homeowners,, (another tax basically) .. with rules further infringing on ones rights..

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- termyt
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 1:55pm
  HOA’s also provide amenities such as public meeting areas, pools, lodges, lakes, lawn care, etc.
  
  It’s not all just weird rules designed to protect some ideal of property values.
  
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termyt
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:54am
I’m not a big fan of HOA’s, even though I live with one. By living in one, I agree to live by the rules established. These Farrans are not so great or special that they somehow get an exemption.

Except they do. The courts said so.

When did we go from, “If you don’t like the rules, change them” to “If you don’t like the rules, ignore them?”

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BWH
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:52am
Call me biased, but it seems you have a liberal who thinks he doesn’t have to abide by the rules. Rules are for the other people. If the sign is a little too large, that’s OK because it’s the thought that counts. This isn’t about free speech, it’s about following the rules that you agreed to. No one ever said they could not put up an Obama sign, as long as it meets size requirements. It can be compared to truck size, you can put one on the road as long as it is less than 13’6″ high. Rules need to be followed, that’ why we are who we are, not a third world country.

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Saff SGT
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:50am
zz

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