A. In accordance with the federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, no unit owners’ association shall prohibit or otherwise adopt or enforce any policy restricting a unit owner from displaying upon property to which the unit owner has a separate ownership interest or a right to exclusive possession or use the flag of the United States whenever such display is in compliance with Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code, or any rule or custom pertaining to the proper display of the flag. A unit owners’ association may, however, establish reasonable restrictions as to the size, place, duration, and manner of placement or display of the flag on such property provided such restrictions are necessary to protect a substantial interest of the unit owners’ association.

B. The unit owners’ association may restrict the display of such flags in the common elements.

C. In any action brought by the unit owners’ association under § 55-79.80:2 for a violation of a flag restriction, the unit owners’ association shall bear the burden of proof that the restrictions as to the size, place, duration, and manner of placement or display of such flag are necessary to protect a substantial interest of the unit owners’ association.

D. In any action brought by the unit owners’ association under § 55-79.80:2, the unit owner shall be entitled to assert as an affirmative defense that the required disclosure of any limitation pertaining to the flag of the United States or any flagpole or similar structure necessary to display the flag of the United States was not contained in the public offering statement or resale certificate, as appropriate, required pursuant to § 55-79.90 or 55-79.97.

History

2007, cc. 854, 910; 2010, cc. 166, 453.