A homeowners association in San Marcos, California has threatened residents with $100 fines for displaying American flags outside their homes, sparking outrage just days before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Flag Fines Threaten Military Family Tradition

Amy and Chris Cooke, along with their neighbor Terri Collins, received threatening letters last week demanding they remove the Stars and Stripes from outside their houses in the San Diego County community where homes average just under $1 million. Chris Cooke has flown the American flag for 20 years in honor of his grandfather, Navy sailor Alexander Christie, who died during the 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf against Japan. Christie was awarded the Navy Purple Heart and Navy Cross for his bravery while attempting to rescue fellow sailors when his ship, the USS Princeton, sank in what became the biggest naval fight in history.

The couple says harassment from the Ambiance Owners Association began around the 2024 presidential election when they received a letter restricting flag displays to exclusive use areas like backyards. The HOA board argued the flag represented a political or affiliative view that would degrade the common area. Amy Cooke, 62, a supervised visitation monitor for children, told reporters the situation is outrageous and noted that this is America, the land of the free and home of the brave.

Legal Rights Versus HOA Restrictions

Congress passed the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act in 2005, prohibiting homeowners associations from banning the display of the United States flag on residential properties. However, HOAs retain authority to regulate how flags are displayed, including decisions about size, location and structural details of poles or mounts. The Ambiance HOA has issued fines to the Cookes for the flag’s placement outside their front entrance, its size and for displaying it in common areas. Subsequent letters from the association have threatened additional $100 penalties for continued violations.

Neighbors Divided as Flags Come Down

Terri Collins has flown her flag for 35 years and said the neighborhood is rooted in military service because of its proximity to the old Miramar Navy Base where Top Gun pilots once lived. She claims the majority of the seven board members are not pro-American and that their letters have frightened some neighbors into compliance. Collins reports seeing flags come down one by one over recent months, with only her display and the Cookes’ still flying. Both Collins and the Cookes have refused to remove their flags despite mounting fines. Collins declared she is buying a giant flag and will not pay any penalties, regardless of whether they reach $100, $200 or $1,000. The couple has been granted a 15-minute Zoom hearing with the association to contest the fines.