JC property manager sends letter to tenants: Confederate flags “not allowed to be displayed” (TN)

[struggle4progress]

By Jordan Moore
Published: August 13, 2015, 7:23 pm

A local man was surprised to read one piece of mail recently, a letter from his property manager that says Confederate flags are not allowed to be displayed on the property ...

The letter from the property manager goes on to say in part, “Unless you want to pay rent of those that leave their unit because of your behavior, I suggest you “settle down” and act like adults” ...

Glen Simerly, the property manager, would not go on camera and would only give us a statement over the phone saying, “They are breaking rule number 5 and rule number 8,which they signed, and will be evicted if they continue to break those rules in 30 days from the day of the certified letter” ...

“What it boils down to then is a private contract dispute, the question simply becomes what does the lease say,” said Harris ...

http://wjhl.com/2015/08/13/jc-property-manager-sends-letter-to-tenants-confederate-flags-not-allowed-to-be-displayed/

[SoCalNative]

1. “I feel like he is trying to take my freedom of speech,”

The property owner is not the government, you nitwit. First Amendment doesn't apply here.

[Rod Beauvex]

2. You know...

I don't remember this obsession with FREEEE SPEEEECH!!!! prior to Barack Obama being elected president, just like I don't remember this obsession with the DEBT. Do I just have a selective memory?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. Should be an interesting court case ...

Mr Reed has probably had the confederate flag on display in his truck for years, and rules 5 and 8 have probably been in effect for years, and all was well. So why is there a problem now, and not before?

I'm guessing Mr Reed will win, unless he wakes up and realizes he has to pay for a lawyer. Then he may capitulate, remove the confederate flag, and display a good old nazi flag, or the old flag with the segmented snake. There must be many ways to be offensive.

[Hoppy]

4. I suspect Reid will win. The flag is not attached to the land or building.

Articles 5 and 8 are a long stretch.

[LuvNewcastle]

5. I hate it, but Reid should win.

Property owners shouldn't be able to tell tenants about flags displayed on their vehicles. That's bullshit. I guess they thought they would send out that threatening letter and everybody would give up because of the financial threats, but I think the owner is going to end up holding the bag for the legal fees.

[fasttense]

6. There is a simple solution

All the landlord need do is add NO confederate swastikas may be flown to rhe rules. Then the tenants can make the decision to move or to take down their racist symbol. I've staid at many apartments that changed the rules while I lived there.

It's not been ok before as people keep saying. It's not all of a sudden that people are bothered by the swastika. It's just that people now have the guts to stand up and say We Are Not Taking It Anymore. So, the swastika has bothered quite a few people, they just haven't complained before. It's like the battered wife who finally leaves her abuser. The abuser always thinks well it was fine all those other times I beat her.