Just days before America celebrated its 250th anniversary, homeowners located in an upscale Southern California community spoke with the media and revealed they are being threatened with big fines for flying the U.S. flag. Residents in San Marcos, which is a townhome community that is run by the Ambiance Owners Association, have decided to take a bold stand and fly their flags anyway.
Several real estate websites show the value of townhomes in the community at just under a million dollars. Documents that have been viewed by the media revealed the fight over the American flag between residents and the HOA has been raging on for three years. In 2023, the HOA told one of the homeowners that “the American flag is the only approved flag to be hung on and within common property.”
However, that all changed in May 2026, when the HOA slapped residents Amy and Christopher Cooke with a violation notice, stating the American flag mounted outside their home violated the association’s flag policy and promptly told them to take it down within 15 days or face “enforcement action.” Terri Collins, another resident of the community, also received a violation notice.
According to Fox News, the Collins and Cookes decided to partner together to take on the HOA over the less than patriotic flag policy. Another resident, speaking to the media, made it clear he would not be bowing down to the HOA concerning his flag either. “No. Flag isn’t coming down. No, everybody had flags up, the whole community. But now, the last two years, it’s slowly one after another after another. Everyone’s flags have come down.”
Collins told reporters that if the “policy stands, then I will be fined every month that my flag is up.” Amy Cooke spoke about the importance of the flag and what it represents to Americans, saying, “This flag represents freedom, and sacrifice, and blood that was shed for this country,” she said. Cooke also revealed that the flag has a special place in her heart because she’s a direct descendant of revolutionaries.
She proudly sports a Daughters of the American Revolution tattoo. Cooke’s husband’s father was a war hero, having received a Purple Heart and Navy Cross for the sacrifice he made while serving in World War II. “This is important, and people need to understand that they need to stand up for our country because there’s too much at stake,” Cooke added.
Cooke also said that her American flag has flown over the garage door for two decades and was never a problem until several years ago. She also stated that the HOA has failed on numerous occasions to provide an explanation as to why the HOA considers her garage door frame to be a common area instead of an exclusive-use common area under their governing documents.
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The Cookes have decided to take legal action against the HOA, having started an online fundraiser account to help pay for attorney fees and other legal expenses should the situation head to court. “This isn’t about refusing to follow reasonable rules,” Cooke stated on the fundraising page. “We believe this is about preserving the right to display the American flag in our own community and ensuring that HOA rules are enforced fairly and consistently.”
“No homeowner should be threatened with fines for respectfully displaying the flag of the country they love, especially on the eve of America’s 250th birthday. A blanket policy that sweeps in longstanding flag displays and punishes residents instead of pursuing reasonable solutions is likely to face serious legal scrutiny. HOAs cannot bully homeowners into taking down the Stars and Stripes,” Courtney Corbello, counsel at the Center for American Liberty, said about the situation.
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