A homeowners association in North Richland Hills may change its rules after ordering a 74-year-old great-grandmother to take down the American flag in front of her house.
“I love my house and I love my neighbors, but the HOA I think is kind of using a bullying tactic,” said Betsy Reker.
Reker, a retired airline worker, moved into the Home Town East NRH homeowners association near the NRH20 water park after her husband, a Navy veteran, died a few years ago.
"All of our homes always had a flag flying outside that size,” she said.
On Monday, she received a letter from the association’s “compliance coordinator.”
The letter said the flag violated the association’s rules and gave her 10 days to take it down.
“Please remove American flag on front of house,” the letter said. “Your Association’s rules exist to preserve property values and maintain the overall appearance of the community.”
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The association’s rules limit flags to just 2 feet by 18 inches.
"The one they wish you to fly is so tiny,” she said. “First of all, I could never find one. I finally found one on Amazon, but it's on a stick because it's so tiny. It can't go on a flag pole. It's not possible."
"I'm not taking it down,” she said.
Rob Koop, a spokesman for the association's management company, CMA Management, said a change to the flag rule is in the works.
After NBC DFW reached out to CMA for comment, the company contacted the developers of the neighborhood, Koop said.
"They're open to changing the rules now," he said. "There's a willingness to change the rules" to include average-sized flags like the one Reker posted on her home.
Koop said no homeowners had been fined.
