Danielle Byrami's South Florida condo is filled with things she loves. There are 2,200 Disney pins covering her walls, Lego recreations of 'Jurassic Park' dinosaurs as well as architectural models she's designed herself.
But when she hung an American flag in her front door window, the board president sent her an email: "I got a report about a flag hanging on your door. Our rules and regulations do not permit this. Please remove this ASAP."
The board claimed the flag was considered 'art,' and art couldn't hang in windows.
Danielle's response was immediate: "I won't take it down. It's insane."
"They are asking me to take down a part of my soul that I will not take down," she told WSVN. "That American flag is part of who I am. No, I won't do it."
She contacted Help Me Howard, a local consumer advocacy segment, and the answer was clear: Federal and state laws protect her right to display the flag.
Within days, the board reversed course. "Hey, we have confirmed you can keep the flag," they wrote.
Danielle kept her flag. But not everyone who fights their HOA or condo board walks away victorious. Or without paying a hefty price, anyway.
The real cost of HOA disputes
Homeowners associations and condo boards wield significant power over residents' daily lives, from lawn maintenance to paint colors to what you can hang in your windows. And when disputes arise, the financial stakes can be steep.
HOA violation fines typically start around $25, but they can escalate quickly. Some associations charge daily fines that reach $500 or more until the violation is corrected. If you refuse to pay, the HOA can place a lien on your property. In some states, they can even foreclose on your home.
Legal fees add up fast. If a dispute escalates to litigation, homeowners can spend $5,000 to $15,000 or more in attorney fees, even if they win. And that's not counting the hours of stress, paperwork, and back-and-forth emails. In Danielle's case, she had federal and state law clearly on her side. Florida Statute 718.113 explicitly states that "any unit owner may display one portable, removable United States flag in a respectful way" regardless of condo rules. Federal law provides similar protections through the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005.