Retired New York Firefighter Prevails
A retired New York City cop and firefighter who helped pull people from the wreckage after the World Trade Center collapsed on 9/11 will now be allowed to fly a commemorative flag in front of his home, ending a one-week battle with his homeowner's association.
"I am really shocked," said Richard Wentz, who seemed nearly speechless after hearing the news this afternoon from ABCNews.com.
He was initially warned by his Florida homeowner's association to remove flag or be fined. Wentz's Coral Springs, Fla., neighborhood allows homes to display one flag, but Wentz has two: an American flag and a flag with the names of the nearly 3,000 people who died during the worst terrorist attack in American history.
"It's not even about me. It's about the people who died that day and their families," said Wentz, 47. "They need to be remembered, not just one day of the year."
Wentz was prepared to pay a fine that could have been as much as $1,000. But today ABCNews.com received a call from Bill Sugarman, president of Benchmark Property Management, the company that manages Wentz's subdivision. He said Benchmark asked the homeowner's association to review their policies
"They have concluded it's not their obligation to enforce the 'one flag' rule. Therefore, Mr. Wentz will be permitted to fly his flag," Sugarman said. "It's really not their duty to encourage that restriction."
- and of course the bad press, community pressure and national attention couldn't have anything to do with their decision - yeah right