One couple claimed their homeowners association was forcing them out of their neighborhood because of a Pride flag on their lawn.
Jared DeLuca, a real estate agent in Queen Creek, Arizona, says after receiving seven fines and two official letters, his homeowners association no longer wants him or his husband, Tim, to be part of the community. he claimed.
“All this [referring to the official letter]over the pride flag,” Deluca (@jdeluca.realtor) claimed in an October 2023 TikTok video.
“I'm pretty sure they're trying to legally kick us out of the house.”
DeLuca explained that he was invited to serve on the homeowners association's building committee in 2022.
He said he did not have to sign anything to participate.
DeLuca had been on the commission for a year without incident before claiming he had been treated unfairly by the HOA.
“I was fined twice in February,” he explained.
“We were fined twice in March.”
In the spring of 2023, the DeLucas asked the HOA how to amend its rules, regulations, and design guidelines to include all flags related to groups protected under fair housing, including sexual orientation. Ta.
However, he says the HOA was unaware of the process for amending the guidelines.
DeLuca compiled the information and submitted it to the HOA. They are said to have then learned that their proposal had been unanimously rejected without any explanation.
It is said that they were fined again in June, but the couple were confused because it was Pride Month.
DeLuca pointed out that under the regulations, flags are allowed to be erected to celebrate the holiday.
They were reportedly fined again in July.
Then in August, the real estate agent said he was asked to sign a code of conduct, which he said interested him because he was originally asked to become a member of the building committee “just by shaking hands.”
The code of conduct reportedly included provisions such as not making negative statements about the HOA to the media and not posting negative content on social media.
DeLuca refused to sign it, but only then did he receive a certified letter from his lawyer.
“The HOA decided to hire a lawyer to scare us and threatened legal action if we didn't comply,” DeLuca explained.
He contacted his attorney and explained that the photo of the fine they received included a photo of a Pride flag with an unauthorized viewing platform in the corner.
DeLuca explained that he intentionally did not get approval from the building commission for the gazebo.
“When the lawyers told us this was a slippery slope, we were like, 'Damn it, this is proof that you're after our pride flag,'” he says of his passion. He spoke in detail.
In October 2023, he allegedly received a second certified mail from the homeowners association informing him that he had been fired from the building commission without any explanation.
“We have been working on this issue for a year. We once took down the flag to comply, but now we have been told to remove the Pride flag from our property completely. ” he explained.
“I have it in a certified letter.”
DeLuca said he believes the real problem was not that the association cared about the presence of a gay couple in the neighborhood, but rather that it didn't want to be visually reminded of it. .
“At this point, I'm pretty sure that: [board] “At the end of the day, they're trying to force the DeLuca family out of their home because they don't want us in their neighborhood, and they've taken repeated steps to prove that.” said.
He also found three violations at the HOA president's home, but said he was being “selective” in enforcement because he did not believe the president had received an official letter.
This year, this story is coming to a sad end.
DeLuca posted a video in January saying she and her husband decided to move, citing a downturn in the real estate industry and troubles with homeowners associations.
Then on Saturday, DeLuca went outside to check the walls around her house after a neighbor alerted her to the problem.
Someone vandalized his property with homophobic language.
DeLuca said she did not plan to call the police because “the police aren't going to do anything.”
The US Sun has reached out to DeLuca and the homeowners association for comment.
