WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-HOA tells military family to take down flag

HOA tells military family to take down flag

Written by Trent Faris - email | bio

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)  Andrea Mangum just said good bye to her husband Major Timothy Mangum last Sunday when he left for his second tour to Iraq.   Like she's always done with her kids after he leaves for duty, she hung the american flag in the front window of her home.

"It gives us something to I don't know hope I guess that he is going to come home safely," says Mangum.

A few days later Andrea got a disturbing letter in the mail from her home owners association.   It told her to take down the flag out of her front window quoting HOA covenants stating that the flag was "unsightly".

"I don't know if their requirements are stricter I've been here for 7 years and I love this community, but I have a hard time understanding why an american flag is something is horrible to look at for anybody" says Mangum.

Andrea hasn't had a chance to talk to the home owners association, and I tried to call today with no response.  Neighbor Wanda Spence says the HOA can get a little over zealous about fines.

"I think it's petty that the home owners association would send her something like that," says Mangum.

Andrea was told to take the flag down by January 15th.

"I'd rather be fined than take down something that serves as an honorable piece of.... our history, our family and our country," says Mangum.