14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Tenants scolded for flying US flag

Tenants scolded for flying US flag

Reporter: Stefanie Silvey
New Media Producer: Rachel Beavin

The neighbors at Stonehedge Apartments on Evansville's east side couldn't believe it when they got a knock on the door from management Tuesday night.

The complaint? Their American flags.

Late rent, or loud noise, residents say they could understand, but when management at their apartment complex complained about the red, white and blue flying outside their door, they said they were dumbstruck.

They refused to remove their flags, and said they would give their management a reason to complain if they tried to do so themselves.

The manager of this apartment complex may have chosen the wrong door to knock on when she came to Tammy Chester's apartment, Tammy says, "My dad is a veteran. We always had an American flag flying at our house. My husband is a veteran."

So imagine her shock when the reason management came knocking was to ask that she remove her American flag, she says, "That's when she said it was a political statement."

Just as upset were her next door neighbors.

David Fleck says he couldn't believe, out of all the things on the exterior of his apartment, it was the flag they wanted removed, "They are not going to tell me I can't fly an American flag, it's not happening."

He said he was told it was a violation of their lease,"I was just in disbelief and could not believe in the United States of America somebody would come knocking on my door and tell me to take my flag down."

So 14 News went to management. The woman in Stonehedge's office would not give us information on the owner or the manager.

But before we knew it, the Fleck says he received another knock on their door, "She came by knocked on the door, had the maintenance man with her and she advised us that they were sorry we had to go through the channels we had to go through, but they got off the phone with corporate and corporate has advised us we can fly our American flag."

Fleck says he was amazed how quickly they changed their tunes, "I was, I was very surprised. I could not believe within an hour of you being here, actions were taken real quick, but God bless America is all I can say."

14 News also heard from the owners of the complex who are out of Michigan. They say this was simply a case of local management taking policy too literally.

They said as soon as they were contacted about our visit, they immediately corrected the situation and wanted to make it clear they would never ask anyone to remove an American flag.