Jeanfromfillmore
08-27-2010, 11:12 AM
Canton Man Wins Flagpole Lawsuit
CANTON, Ga. - Ron Tripodo has lived in Canton's Bridgemill subdivision for two years. For most of that time he has been involved in a flagpole fight. The 16-foot tall fixture hasn't flown well with the Bridgemill Homeowners Association.
"I got a letter saying, 'Take your flag down. You can put it in your backyard' and I just refused to do it," Tripodo.
Tripodo, a former Army Reservist, maintains that the flag belongs in a prominent place.
Tripodo's HOA then filed a lawsuit and called the flagpole an obstruction. The homeowner's association sued Tripodo for $25 each day the flag flew in the front yard. The fees now total $32,000.
Tripodo admitted that he signed the covenant but that he believed the 2006 Freedom to Display the American Flag Act superseded subdivision rules.
"That's why I didn't even ask for permission because I knew the law," said Tripodo.
This week, a year and a half after the flag flap started, a Cherokee County judge agreed with Tripodo and denied the suit.
"Hooray! Today I won. I wish I didn't have to go through all this aggravation, but I was going to defend this flag all the way," Tripodo said.
FOX 5 News contacted the Bridgemill Homeowners Association about the ruling but they referred questions to their legal team. Attorneys did not return phone calls.
Tripodo doesn't have to pay the flagpole fines and doesn't have to pay an attorney. Tripodo's next door neighbor, a lawyer, volunteered to help.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/canton-man-wins-flagpole-lawsuit-082610
CANTON, Ga. - Ron Tripodo has lived in Canton's Bridgemill subdivision for two years. For most of that time he has been involved in a flagpole fight. The 16-foot tall fixture hasn't flown well with the Bridgemill Homeowners Association.
"I got a letter saying, 'Take your flag down. You can put it in your backyard' and I just refused to do it," Tripodo.
Tripodo, a former Army Reservist, maintains that the flag belongs in a prominent place.
Tripodo's HOA then filed a lawsuit and called the flagpole an obstruction. The homeowner's association sued Tripodo for $25 each day the flag flew in the front yard. The fees now total $32,000.
Tripodo admitted that he signed the covenant but that he believed the 2006 Freedom to Display the American Flag Act superseded subdivision rules.
"That's why I didn't even ask for permission because I knew the law," said Tripodo.
This week, a year and a half after the flag flap started, a Cherokee County judge agreed with Tripodo and denied the suit.
"Hooray! Today I won. I wish I didn't have to go through all this aggravation, but I was going to defend this flag all the way," Tripodo said.
FOX 5 News contacted the Bridgemill Homeowners Association about the ruling but they referred questions to their legal team. Attorneys did not return phone calls.
Tripodo doesn't have to pay the flagpole fines and doesn't have to pay an attorney. Tripodo's next door neighbor, a lawyer, volunteered to help.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/canton-man-wins-flagpole-lawsuit-082610