Article Courtesy of The
Orlando Sentinel
By David Whitley
Published October 21, 2018
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Karl Payne apparently is determined to make Lauderdale West great again.
It’s a retirement community in Plantation, and Payne decided to hang a big
banner that read, “Trump 2020: No More Bull----” in his front yard.''
That hasn’t set well with the homeowner’s
association, according to WPLG-TV. Payne told the Miami TV
station that the HOA sent a crew over Monday morning to cut
down the palm trees the banner was strung between.
The HOA prohibits homeowners from displaying political
campaign signs or flags, according the WPLG report. As for
the tree removal, front lawns are maintained by the HOA and
considered common areas owned by the association.
So it would appear that Payne isn’t following HOA rules. It
also appears he doesn’t care.
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After the trees were cut down, he put the banner on the
front of his house and added more signs and Trump flags, the TV station
reported.
“I’m putting this up to support our president, and they don't have the right
to take it down," Payne told WPLG.
The HOA did not respond to the TV station’s inquiries, WPLG reported. Payne
filmed Monday morning’s encounter with the tree-cutting crew, and a
representative from the association can be heard calling the sign “vulgar.”
Neighbors apparently agree and have complained to the HOA, the TV station
said. Then again, maybe they just don’t like Trump.
Either way, Payne now says the dispute isn’t about politics. It’s about HOA
rules. In the video he can be heard telling the HOA representative, “If you
take it down, it’s going right back up.”
Police were on the scene but told WPLG that they were there to keep the
peace, not remove the sign.
“They forced me to stay out of the way while the sign was removed,” Payne
told the station.
Lauderdale West is a 55-and-over community with about 1,000 houses and 2,500
residents, according to its website.
“We are part of the City of Plantation, where ‘The grass is greener,’” the
website says. “Here we pride ourselves on keeping our community beautifully
green, too.”
Unless the greenery has a Trump sign, that is.
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