A Florida man painted his home red, white and blue as a show of patriotism after being charged with at least nine counts of city code enforcement violations, MyFoxTampaBay.com reported Thursday.
Brent Greer, who lives in Bradenton, decided to protest the code enforcement department's unfair decision to fine him by transforming his home into an American flag.
After the city's code enforcement officers inspected his home upon being informed of a dead Christmas tree in front of his house, Greer was upset at being harassed about cosmetic issues with his house.
The inspectors found other items ruled to be code violations and threatened him with a $250-a-day fine.
By painting his house, Greer wanted to send a message that the appearance of his home was none of the code enforcement's business and prove to his community that he deserved to live in the United States, Click Orlando reported.
"I decided to paint the American flag in order to show this is still America," he told the station.
Unfair treatment by his local government won't scare him away, he added.
"They're threatening me and my family," he said.
It started with a dead Christmas tree outside of his house. Someone reported it to code enforcement, prompting officers to investigate his property, according to MyFoxTampaBay.com.
They ended up reporting other violations, like issues with the paint, missing window screens and loose railings. Trash was also reportedly on the property.
"There was a debris pile,' he said....show it to me," Greer said.
Volker Reiss, a code compliance manager, told the station that "code compliance is all we're looking for."
Neighbors and supporters were painted a sign by Greer thanking them. He also plans to paint the Liberty Bell on the second floor of his home.
A code enforcement hearing has been scheduled on June 17 but officials hope it doesn't come to that.
"We have 3000 cases a year and less than a 100 go to a hearing," Reiss said.
Greer, however, claimed that he wouldn't be backing down.
"I'm not going to pay them," he said.
