I was asked/told by my Apt.Mgr today to 'Take down my USA Flag'.

Ive been flying a USA flag,out side of my house since around the 4th.Got a knock on my door,apartment manager asking me 'is that your flag,if so,you need to take it down,we are trying to clean up around here'.

For sake of causing issues with where I live,I complied instantly,gave some light banter,mentioned this was my fathers flag,and that he was a Vietnam Vet... I drew a couple of 'awwwes' but still it came down.

Im not even sure I have ever heard anyone getting asked this,in my near 50 years in this country!

I am not here to rage or anything,I am sort of curious as to what could have happened if I declined?

(Mind you,I DO live in Olympia Washington,almost on Evergreen campus)

reply to post by Bootyac


Well, does the lease say you cant fly your flag?

If not, does your city have an ordinance on where you can fly one?

I would check into all that.

reply to post by Bootyac


I would read your renters agreement and if nothing is in there put it back up. Tell him to take that crap else where, this flag is flown proper and legally.

reply to post by Bootyac


Where was it hung?

I would say put that back up instantly.

reply to post by Bootyac
Read your lease. They may have stipulations that prohibit flying flags other than on or around patriotic holidays. One of the down sides of apartment living.

I will read my lease.Again,this is news to me if it is in some type of violation.

It was on an open-air staircase,on my side,going up.It was hung properly.

Its been wonderful weather in the PNW recently,and I would have taken it down when the weather changes.

Also a helpful thing to read is the Landlord/Tenet handbook, most of the time these can be found at the court house and many apts bend the regulations because nobody complains.

Here is Wash. Renters Rights

reply to post by Bootyac


You must hang it back up. And if he comes back again ask him why he is asking you to take it down exactly.

reply to post by Bootyac


Then there is no reason you should have to remove it, I could understand if it was flown improperly like without lighting at night or in a storm...ect.. I am confident they can not tell you to remove it...maybe because it is on the outside though....put it in your window maybe..if nothing else. You should go get a Gadsden Flag and hang that where the US flag was.

reply to post by Bootyac


for every one they make you take down put two up in its place.

Get american flag drapes, put one on your car, paint your door, if you can spare a window....paint your window.

then see who has more resolve, the ones who destroy or the ones who put it back up.

In this day and age? I'd have told him to hold that thought and leave my flag alone, I'd be up to the office shortly. I'd then have spent about a half hour collecting the national media stories and outcomes to very beefy lawsuits in states across this nation over PRECISELY what he just did.

To finish? I'd take that list up to him, let him skim over it and ask him which station he'd like me to get him interviewed with first if he can't cope with an American Flag flying in America ...because every national media outlet this nation HAS would have a summary of everything related to his order by the end of the day.

I have to tolerate the America-Hate crap on the net. It's international. It's just being decent and a good Netizen. NO ONE has to tolerate it INSIDE our own nation and literally AT out OWN home.

I don't care what his rules are when it comes to Old Glory...again, which station would be like to be the Goober of the night on first? I'd be kind enough to let him pick.

reply to post by tadaman


Either do what I said or tadaman or heres another suggestion to follow up. Hang it back up and when he comes back and asks you to take it down, comply, soon as he leaves hang it back up again. Keep doing it until he tries to evict you. Then youll have a pretty good case against him and it will drive him crazy. He won't evict you, because, hell end up looking like a butthole.

So fly that flag like you mean business!

Best I could come up with is that it is some sort of eye sore? I need to go over the fine print from the Tenant rights as was posted.I dont know.

I am skilled in the art of choosing my battles btw..when and where..

What I am not sure of is it just my Apt.Manager or a higher up or did she get a complaint?Am I privy to this info or what?

Apparently you didn't get the memo. A display of patriotism is a hate crime, and an act of terrorism.

Talk to your postmaster general ... not just the postmaster.

They know the laws about flags and flying flags (and are the law enforcers of flag rules if I remember correctly.)

They should be able to tell you if the landlord has violated any FEDERAL laws in requiring you to take it down.

reply to post by Bootyac
I would just ask. I doubt she would have a problem giving you an answer.

reply to post by Bootyac


It doesn't matter who the order came from. Hang it back up and if he asks you to take it down ask him why.

reply to post by Bootyac


If you don't own the property, and you've already taken the flag down, don't go out of your way to be a trouble maker.

If you want to be a trouble maker, I'm sure your apartment manager can find all sorts of other reasons, even non-existent reasons to cause trouble back.

If it's an issue for you and you want to hang the flag, just wait for the next plausible USA oriented holiday to fly it again. In the mean time, review your agreement and see what's legal.

Keep in mind; it's not your property. You own nothing. You've certain renters rights, sure, but, if it isn't in the renter's agreement, and the owners or managers want to make an issue of it, it could cost you court fees on top of other inconveniences.
It's easy enough for apartment complexes to arrange oopsie power outages, loss of hot water, and other things that they're "looking into" that will cause inconveniences, and make your life a hassle if, for instance, your alarm never goes off in the morning because for some oopsie reason there was a power outage (only in your apartment) at 4:30am or other such things like a power outage early in the day the entire time you're at work, only to come back on a little before you get home so all your food in the refrigerator is spoiled except, you won't know until you go to eat rotten food.

It's up to you to decide how much trouble it's worth to you.

it sucks when you cannot fly your own nations flag . hang it inside your window and there is not much he can do then

reply to post by Druscilla


Druscilla..this is what I sort of wanted to read.

I will fly the flag INSIDE my house,from a window,fully visible,as I mentioned,I know where and when to pick my fights,but I am testing the proverbial waters so to speak.

I will speak with the Postmaster General as pointed out.

I am in pretty good standing w/the management I would like to keep it that way.

This being said,I love my country,and now and then,even I like to show it.