HOA orders family to take down display honoring fallen soldier before Memorial Day
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) — A new HOA management company is challenging a display of patriotism for Memorial Day at a woman’s home in Surprise, Arizona.
Kendall Rasmusson has flags, banners and other decorations on her front lawn. On her garage door, she has a magnetic poster with the picture of her late brother.
”My brother really loved his country and I’m very proud, and that’s really the point,” said Rasmusson.
Sgt. John Kyle Daggett was killed in action in May 2008 when he was 21 years old.
Every year, the month of May becomes a month of mourning for Rasmusson.
”It’s been interesting navigating life without him,” she said.
According to a letter sent by the HOA management company on May 7, her tribute, specifically the poster on the garage, is considered a “nuisance.”
“They put it in comparison with dead plants, dead trees and bushes, and it was kind of offensive to have it be in this comparison of what they’re calling a nuisance,” Rasmusson said.
She was told to take it down.
In a follow-up email sent to Rasmusson on Friday, the management company said their intention was “not to cause frustration or overlook the significance of the display” after Rasmusson posted about it on a neighborhood social media group page.
The company also claimed they noticed the poster was up for several months and now consider it a permanent exterior feature instead of a decoration. The HOA says decorations can go up 30 days before a holiday and must be taken down 10 days after.
Rasmusson said she’s dealt with this before with the previous management company in 2018. She was fined $500 for the poster, but after an online petition, she was allowed to keep the display up for other holidays, including Independence Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day.
With the grace period, Rasmusson is often able to leave it up between holidays, but she said she does take it down frequently. She believes the new management company is unaware of the conditions approved by the previous group.
Arizona’s Family talked with neighbors, including a man who gifted Rasmusson a flag. He said he wouldn’t mind if she kept the poster up all year long and didn’t agree with the management team’s request to remove it before Memorial Day.
“I think they should be able to keep it up and honor the person that they have,” said Bob Miller.
Arizona’s Family called the HOA management company multiple times over the weekend, but a request for comment was not immediately returned.
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