A Las Vegas veteran says his homeowners’ association targeted him for displaying vintage fire hydrants in his yard that commemorate his military service and decades-long firefighting career.
Brent Saba, a military veteran and longtime firefighter, has three non-functional, vintage fire hydrants on display on a patio outside his front door.
“This hydrant right here, I brought this fire hydrant home from Iraq. I served over in Iraq for about a year, year and a half or so. So that one there was a special piece,” Saba told KSNV.
Earlier this month, he received a citation from Antelope HOA claiming that the hydrants violated HOA rules that dictate front and side yard landscaping.
“It was just kind of for me was the last straw and I was like I’m not gonna go down without a fight,” Saba said. “I’m hoping things actually improve for this neighborhood.”
The three vintage hydrants had been on display without issue ever since Saba moved to the neighborhood a little over a year ago, he told the news station.
“How are they going to tell the guy with over 30 years in the fire service, you got to get rid of your fire hydrants? I mean, it’s not like it’s clutter. It’s not like it’s defacing anything. I mean, it’s still — my neighbors all even think it looks good,” Saba said.
Saba says the HOA told him he needed to apply for approval to keep the hydrants on his lawn. Even after submitting his application, along with written support from his neighbors, his request was denied.
“First they told me that I had to apply for an architectural modification permit. Well, number one, this isn’t architectural. These are just items to display. That’s all they are,” Saba said.
Saba says he later received a message suggesting that additional approval may be required from the homeowner.
“I’m a fire inspector and when I write up a violation on a building, imagine if I wrote up something that didn’t even apply to what the write up was,” he said. “I would look like a fool.”
On Saturday, Saba told Fox Business that the HOA now says he may be able to keep the hydrants on display. It was not immediately clear when Saba would receive a final answer.
“I mean this HOA in this neighborhood is out of control,” Saba said. “…The HOA thought that they could bully me and manipulate me.”
The Independent has contacted Antelope HOA for comment.
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