Over the years, condominium, cooperative and homeowners associations frequently battled with homeowners over the display of flags. Some battles included giant flag poles and giant flags. Others were driven by spite between an owner and an association. Others involved a difference of opinion concerning the importance of uniformity in the neighborhood and the homeowner’s desire to express patriotism. 
The level of dispute reached Congress and on January 4, 2005, Representative Roscoe Bartlett and 13 other members of the House of Representatives introduced The Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005. It took over a year for Congress to pass the Act and it was signed into law by President George W. Bush on July 24, 2006. The Act prohibits condominium associations, co-ops or residential homeowners associations from adopting or enforcing policies or agreements that would restrict or prevent a member of the association from displaying the flag of the United States on residential property within the association with respect to which the member has a separate ownership interest or right to exclusive possession or use.