Jupiter homeowner faces foreclosure for flying U.S. flag

Sun-Sentinel ^ | 11 Sep 2003 | Peter Franceschina

[Rick.Donaldson]

Defiant flag flier George Andres once again is facing the prospect of losing his Jupiter home after a Palm Beach County judge ruled Wednesday that his homeowners association could go forward with a foreclosure sale next month to collect legal fees.

Andres, a Marine veteran, said he was worried about losing his home, but he vowed to appeal the latest ruling in a legal saga that has spanned more than two years.

[af_vet_rr]

Andres should threaten them with (1) discrimination, (2) hate crimes, and, (3) inflcting emotional distress on him and his family by impeding his ability to display his love for his country.

If it was some kind of gay pride flag, I'd be willing to bet they wouldn't say a word to him about it or threaten him or anything.

[Skooz]

Oh, and if they did, you can bet the syncophantic press would give this lead story status with 24/7 updates and wailing gay-rights wackos getting face time aplenty.

[meadsjn]

The space aliens have definitely taken over ...

[Liz]

Perverts are a "protected class." They have more "rights" that you, me or Andres.

[TopQuark]

you stated in your post that your speech was not "free" in a homeowner's association

Please reread the post. Free speech refers to the gov't having a duty not to interfere with your expression. The homowners association does not have such as duty. Yours is a common misconception about free speech.

[floriduh voter]

GEORGE ANDRES AND HIS ATTORNEY WERE JUST ON HANNITY & COLMES. The re-run of the show will be on after Greta and O' Reilly. Thought you might want to know.

[cmsgop]

HANNITY is going to help him raise the money....

[jwalsh07]

Hannity just pledged to raise the 25K for Mr Andres. He said he'll donate the first 5K if Mr Andres is left with no other recourse. I'm pledging the next 100.

Semper Fi Mr Andres.

[padfoot_lover]

I just saw Mr. Andres and his lawyer on Hannity & Colmes. This homeowners' association did not even have anything in their deed restrictions about flagpoles or anything. According to the homeowner and his attorney, after his flagpole was up, the association decided they wanted only flags flying from brackets attached to homes. So the association has been very devious and dishonest from the start. The homeowner needs $25,000 to save his house, and Hannity said that if it got close to foreclosure, he would personally put up $5,000 and raise the rest so the association would not get the man's house. These bastards at the association cannot be allowed to kick this man out of his home, especially when they are making regulations up as they go along!

[floriduh voter]

Condo and homeowners' associations in Florida do as they please. The Dept. of Prof. Regulations protect their own. The Bureau of Compliance doesn't have enough staff to investigate but they will send booklets on how to file a Complaint with a letter that says "you're on your own."

Beware of purchasing a condominium in Florida. They are even worse than a homeowner's association. It's not as funny as Kramer from the Seinfeld show running for President of Boca Vista Condominiums. (the name was something like that).

Property managers and boards know they can violate law after law and nobody will hold them acccountable. I'm about to win a battle myself and have my fingers crossed. I waged my battle without an attorney. Condo attorneys in Fla. are just as bad as the rest of the system.

[jwalsh07]

The homowners association does not have such as duty. Yours is a common misconception about free speech.

True enough however the homeowners association has a duty to live up to their covenants. In this case there is nothing in the covenant restricting a flag pole.

[One_American]

I guess the ACLU is not interested in this one but what if it was the rainbow homo flag the guy wanted to fly?

[floriduh voter]

You could always do a tag line for freepers to help George Andres by contacting Hannity. I'm helping someone right now with my tag line.

[jwalsh07]

Good cause. I've been active myself.

[Swanks]

Kramer from the Seinfeld show running for President of Boca Vista Condominiums.

Hey. It was Mortie Seinfeld and La Boca Vista Condos. But he was obviously skimming Assoc. funds because they could afford to eat out after the 'early-bird' cutoff time.

Trivia: What was the name of the Soup Nazi....

[floriduh voter]

I'm deed restricted in front of a home subdivision at a townhouse. This is Bucs Country. People hang American Flags all week and Bucs Flags on game day. Bucs fans also write B U C S in their upper windows. We are integrated. I love this place because we're left alone here as long as we pay the maintenance fee. I feed stray cats the days they show up at my door. People can have as many pets as they want as long as they behave.

There are only like 12 Rules.

The condo I lived at had 30 rules PLUS the BYLAWS. NEVER AGAIN. And, they thought our money grew on trees at the condo but you wouldn't know it by looking at the condition of the buildings at my old place.

So,my point is, you can find a nice townhouse hooked onto a deed restricted community (they don't want tons of rules to follow in the burbs) and you're better off than in a condo. I'm done now. Off my soapbox. lol

[floriduh voter]

I am so non-plussed by that flagpole. You can't even see it. People with no lives serve on Boards to make other people's lives miserable. NO LIVES.

[floriduh voter]

Fla. AG Crist knows about Andres' case. The Civil Rights Dept. of his dept. is out of Ft. Lauderdale. I imagine that George has already filed a Civil Rights Complaint with the fla. AG's office. If not, that's a good angle. Then it goes to local Human Relations Dept. to investigate. Then Human Relations, an arm of HUD would throw the book at his homeowner's association.

[floriduh voter]

I don't remember the name of the soup nazi but remember that Kramer gave out astronaut pens to bribe people to vote for him and they were defective? So, Kramer lost the election and went back to NY.

[floriduh voter]

I love Florida but it's full of bastards.