A homeowner association smackdown didn't go as planned out in Fairfax. Usually these groups maintain tight control over homeowners in their communities who don't keep their grass trimmed and their front doors a pre-approved color. But one family went rogue and dared to keep up an Obama sign that was four inches higher than the community regulations allowed. The story does not end well. The couple ignored the letters from the HOA (as well as the bullets that showed up in their lawn) and before you know everything ended up in a courtroom (there was also a problem with their roof and deck, said the HOA, so that had its own court case activity too). The judge ruled in favor of the couple, not the HOA, and now the tenant's association is on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills. As a result they've put the community's grassy common area up for sale to try to pay off the debt, but so far no developer has had the courage to buy it (one who had expressed an interest received anonymous threats).
· Feud over sign could force Fairfax's Olde Belhaven to sell square [WaPo]
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