Veteran moves after HOA denies flag pole in yard

Gary Pittman lives in Rock Hill and asked his homeowners association for permission to fly the U.S. and Marine flags on a pole in his front yard.

Legally, his HOA can't say no to the U.S. flag, but it did deny him placing the pole in the yard.

As soon as WSOC-TV investigator Jason Stoogenke reported this dispute, viewers contacted Stoogenke with their stories, including an Air Force veteran who said he went through the same issue years ago and even ended up moving because of it.

"We were all tied up in the excitement of buying a house, you know, brand new house. It was just built, brand new neighborhood and had no idea what a homeowners association was," Tom Miron said.

Miron was living in Ballantyne, put up a flag pole and flew the U.S. flag, then the HOA told him the pole had to go.

"I can't imagine how the American flag, which people have fought and died for, can be unsightly. It just makes no sense to me," Miron said.

The HOA did not have problem with flag but the pole itself.

So Miron moved to a neighborhood in Gastonia, one without an HOA. He put up the pole and is flying the U.S. and Air Force flags.

Miron explained why he did not give into the HOA’s rules.

"To me, it just was more prominent, and it just, you know, gave it a little bit more respect [on the flag pole]," he said.