Woman put up a poster honoring her late US veteran brother. HOA called it a 'nuisance' and asked her to take it down
Kendall had encountered a similar dispute in 2018, but after people's support, it was resolved. This time, however, the HOA is refusing to back down.
At the edge of a residential street in Arizona, the front lawn of a house is decorated with fluttering banners and flags of America. In one corner is a decorative piece called “Love,” and in the other is a plaque that reads “Home of the brave.” A boot with a soldier’s photo and a flag sits on the garden grass, honoring the resident's late brother, an Iraq War veteran. On the brown garage door at the back is a red and white poster that reads, “Freedom Is Not Free." It was Kendall Rasmusson's home, and the installation was her way of honoring her brother. But soon she received a letter from the Homeowners Association (HOA) classifying these decorations as “nuisance,” “eyesore,” and “dead plants, dead trees, and bushes.” The HOA was aware it was a tribute to her brother, but still went ahead with the notice, according to reports shared by Arizona Family.
Sergeant John Kyle Daggett, Rasmusson’s brother, was just 21 when he was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade during combat operations in Baghdad. He lost his life. For years, she has been honoring his sacrifice by displaying patriotic decorations on her property, including the magnetic poster with his photograph printed on it. Things escalated when the HOA’s letter demanded that she take it down, as they didn’t fit the neighborhood aesthetic.
This isn’t the first time Rasmusson received an HOA notice regarding the installations. Back in 2018, she got involved in a similar dispute. At the time, she was fined $500, but after a petition on Change.org attracted 1,100 signatures, the dispute was settled. The association allowed the display on patriotic holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day. But this time, they flagged the decorations as a permanent exterior feature rather than temporary holiday decorations, insisting that they be removed.
As of April 2026, nearly 78.1 million residents, roughly 25.2% of homes, in the United States live under similar restrictions, with their homes being governed by the local HOAs. According to the Foundation for Community Association Research, there are more than 323,000 HOAs in America, and they are expected to increase to 377,000 by the end of 2026. In Arizona alone, nearly 875,000 of the state’s 2.8 million homes are under the governance of HOAs, per Phoenix Agent Magazine. The problem is not the HOA itself, but how it governs. In the case of Rasmusson, for instance, the aesthetic regulations put by the HOA are intermittently intersecting with her personal tribute, as Newsweek describes it.
While the HOA refuses to bend its rigid and stubborn code of architecture and house management, for Rasmusson, the matter boils down to deep sentiment. Her brother, she said, “really loved his country.” Bob Miller, a neighbor, also remarked that it’s perfectly okay to keep the display.
After much fuss on social media and a follow-up email, the company clarified that they were not intending to “cause frustration or overlook the significance of the display." Yet, the lingering dispute has stirred doubt and resistance among the community regarding the functioning of HOAs.
More on Scoop Upworthy
HOA head complains about kids playing outside but she wasn't ready for their dad's response
HOA gets a taste of its own medicine after messing with homeowner's beloved mulberry tree
Share on Facebook
