After 2 years, HOA asks man to remove American flag adorned with thin-blue line

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — A retired sheriff’s deputy didn’t see any problem with hanging an American flag with a thin blue line outside his Lancaster County home to show his support for local police.

Property management at Tree Tops retirement community told John Nakaji last week to take it down after it had been up for the past two years.

“Southern hospitality has always been top-notch,” Nakaji said.

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Nakaji and his wife moved to South Carolina three years ago and hung the flag in 2018.

”It had nothing to do with politics, whatsoever,” he said.

Nakaji patrolled Los Angeles County streets as a deputy there. American flags, sports teams’ flags and seasonal flags are accepted, according to the homeowners’ association.

A member of the HOA noticed the flag and Nakaji thought that maybe they didn’t understand what it was about.

“I personally am going to give them the benefit of the doubt but after that, the fight is on,” he said.

CAMS, the property management company, said flags are limited to those that don’t make political statements. Nakaji said if the issue would have been brought up when he moved in, he could understand it -- but not years later.

He said he will not take the flag down if the HOA pushes the issue.

Nakaji said he wants to speak with his neighbors and start a petition to change the HOA’s by-laws and will go before the board to address the issue.

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Cox Media Group