A Wisconsin couple says the owner has ordered them to remove the flag of gay pride

March 31, 2019, 18:41 GMT

By Janelle Griffith

A Wisconsin couple said the owner of his building had ordered him to remove his gay pride flag or face eviction.

Kevin Kollman and his partner, Merle Malterer, who are renting a unit at Country Oaks Apartments in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, said they received a five-day notice of eviction by mail on Wednesday informing them that their lease would be terminated. They did not withdraw it. the American gay pride flag – which features 50 white stars and rainbow stripes – from the property's terrace.

The letter, which Kollman provided a copy to NBC News, indicates that the couple had breached a clause in their lease: "The tenant must not, without permission, in the building rules or the specific written approval of the owner, modify or physically redecorate the premises, ensure that the contractor's privilege is tied to the premises, committing waste in the premises or the property to which it belongs, or attaching or displaying anything that substantially affects the outside of the premises or the property to which it belongs. "

"At that point, we were frustrated," Kollman told NBC News during a phone interview Sunday.

In January, the owner asked the couple to remove a flag of the Green Bay Packers in order not to appear because he was advertising for the football team. They complied then.

But on Wednesday, Kollman said they had sought advice on social media for what they saw as a case of "selective prosecution." They claim that they are targeted because of their sexual orientation. About 10 to 12 other people at Country Oaks Apartments have hung American pride and police flags in their rental homes, they said.

"My flag is not doing anything," said Kollman. "It's just a symbol of who we are, where we come from and our love for the United States."

Kollman and Malterer said they had a phone conversation last week with Kenneth Bieck, president and CEO of Bieck Management, owner of their rental property, and asked them to remove the flag because it was visible from the office of the management . They informed him that they intended to keep the flag raised. They claimed to have flown their American flag in July without any problem and to have decorated their patio seasonally.

Bieck did not immediately return a request for comment from NBC News.

WBBH, affiliated with NBC, said the owner was open to the discussion and that he did not want to evict the couple.

Kollman and Malterer live in their apartment at $ 870 a month for almost six years and plan to renew their lease on Sunday.

"My big problem is this: I will not be bullied at 52, nor will my partner," said Kollman. "We will not be told that we are not respecting our legal rights under the First Amendment."