SAN MARCOS, Calif., June 30 (Escondido Times) — An Escondido homeowners association has ordered Amy and Christopher Cooke to remove an American flag mount from outside their home and warned them of enforcement action if they do not comply, according to HOA documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The notice is the latest step in a dispute that has lasted at least three years in the Ambiance Owners Association community, where another resident, Terri Collins, also received a violation notice over an American flag displayed outside her home.
Fox News Digital reported that a May 2023 HOA notice told one homeowner that sports flags were prohibited and that “the American flag is the only approved flag to be hung on and within common property.” A later violation notice said the Cookes’ flag mount violated the association’s policy and gave them 15 days to remove it.
10News reported that the association alleged the flag was installed on common-area fascia and cited a rule saying, “Flags, signs or banners within and on common areas and/or extending out and into common areas are prohibited.” The station also reported that the Cookes faced a pending $100 fine and were ordered to attend a hearing on June 30.
Amy Cooke told Fox News Digital the conflict began after another resident tried to fly a San Diego Padres flag, prompting the board to revisit its rules. She also said the association had not explained why her garage door frame should be treated as a common area rather than an exclusive-use common area under the governing documents.
Legal experts quoted in the reporting said HOAs may set reasonable limits on the size and placement of flags, but not ban them entirely on private property. Courtney Corbello of the Center for American Liberty told Fox News Digital that California law allows reasonable rules on flag displays but does not let associations prohibit homeowners from flying the American flag on their own property.
