Minnesota Woman Fights For The Right To Fly Her American Flag


On the Fourth of July, nothing is more patriotic than flying the American flag, but one Minnesota woman is in a fight with her condo association to do just that.

Angie Hildebrandt, who has two sons serving in the military, received a letter from her condo association advising her to take down the American flag flying from her porch because it violated association rules.

Hildebrandt told KSTP-TV5 she has the right as an American to fly her flag.

“I was heartbroken, I was sad, I was angry. Every emotion that I had came out when I got that letter under my door. It’s everybody’s right to fly this flag, including me.”

The Southdale Gardens Condominium Association in Edina, Minnesota, disagrees, however. Their legal team says the disagreement has nothing to do with being patriotic, but with the placement of the flag in question.

The association’s lawyers say the flag holder was installed on common property not on Hildebrandt’s personal property as required by condo rules. According to a letter from the legal team, only the inside of Hildebrandt’s porch is her property, but Angie says she’s protected by federal law.

The Freedom To Display The American Flag Act of 2005 protects the right of every citizen to fly the flag, but it may not apply to Angie depending on the legal definition of personal versus community property.

Woman fights to fly American flag
PERTH, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Team USA players sign a Stars and Stripes flag during their victory September 23, 2014 in Perth, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Hildebrandt told WDAY News she’ll move before she takes down her American flag.

“I got a family tree that’s got more stars than leaves on it. If I have to go to court, then I don’t want to, but so be it.”

This isn’t the first time American citizens have been stopped from flying their country’s flag.

In April, U.S. Air Force veteran Delia Foster was ordered to take down the American flag in her front yard after her Homeowners Association called the flagpole an unapproved structure, according to the Inquisitr.

After consulting the town’s mayor and her HOA, Foster found a loophole allowing her to fly the flag and quickly raised it again. It turns out flag poles aren’t structures.

Woman fights to fly her American flag on her porch
INDIAN WELLS, CA – MARCH 13: American Serviceman stand while the National Anthem is played during the Salute to Heroes cermony during the BNP Parisbas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 13, 2015 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Then, in May, a South Carolina teenager was forced to remove an American flag and a POW/MIA flag from his truck after his high school received complaints, according to the Inquisitr.

School administrators from York Comprehensive High School asked Peyton Robinson to remove the flags from his truck because some people were offended, but they weren’t prepared for the community backlash.

After being asked to take down his flags, Robinson went on Twitter to complain and the community responded with massive flag rally.

[Photo by Mark Makela/Mark Runnacles/Harry How/Getty Images]

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