Upside-down flag at the Lake: No disrespect, help needed

LAKE GASTON — Lake Gaston resident Keith Carlson is asking North Carolina property owners, particularly those in Warren County, to join him in flying the North Carolina flag upside down.

“It’s a sign of distress,” said Carlson as he explained his dilemma over property taxes in North Carolina.

Carlson is referring to the United States flag code, Title 36, U.S.C., Chapter 10 as amended by P.L. 344, 94th Congress.

Approved on July 7, 1976, it says, “Respect for flag ... The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

“Most individuals who have served in the military service of our nation recognize this signal,” Carlson said.

This code refers to the U.S. flag, not the state flag, but Carlson seems to believe the same principles apply and according to Carlson there is extreme danger to life and property over these taxes.

Carlson is a resident of Virginia. His lake house sits in Brunswick County, but part of his property juts out into North Carolina in Warren County and he’s amazed and appalled at the new appraised value Warren County handed down on a lot with no improvements. “It’s about 0.24 of an acre and they assessed it at $385,000,” said Carlson. “There’s nothing on it.”

Carlson said he appealed to the county and they dropped the assessment to $360,000, but still feeling the property was overassessed. He reappealed and is waiting on the results of that action. “I don’t think much is going to happen,” he said.

Carlson, who was an appraiser and real estate agent in New York, said it would be one thing if he didn’t actually know this field, but the fact that he has years of experience makes this situation even more insulting. “I know what’s going on,” he said.

Carlson said he’s calling on his neighbors to show this sign of distress because he and many people he knows are distressed beyond their endurance when it comes to lake taxes. He said he believes there are discrepancies, not only with his assessment but also with others and the board of assessments is not neutral. He has called a watchdog group that has agreed to investigate the situation.

Carlson said based on his conversations with representatives, they feel the Department of State should investigate. Carlson also said, “We feel some federal laws were broken in this process, but we don’t know for sure at this point.”

Carlson said with the area dependent on tourism he’s concerned that higher taxes will scare people away from investing on the lake. “When we first moved here, taxes were low. That was one of the draws. Now the elderly here have a fear of losing their homes,” he said.

There are many online reports of people flying the U.S. flag upside down over various political policies these days. Many times reports are that people doing so, bring danger and harm to themselves from people who view the act as disrespect to the flag. Carlson refuses to be thwarted.

He said anyone can support the effort to draw attention to what he feels is unfair taxation in Warren County by flying the North Carolina flag upside down on their flag poles and their boats. For more information on this movement call Carlson at (434) 636-3892.