Although Tellico Village is a private entity and not subject to protecting constitutional rights, the Tellico Village Property Owners Association board recently issued a Tell-E-Flash statement that handguns may be carried in common areas of the Village.
The board claimed their decision was in response to the majority of homeowners, although the 500 emails, texts and calls they received, mostly in support of carrying guns, represented less than 5% of all homeowners.
The gun issue had been raised after the board received several complaints from residents who were frightened to see a man in the Yacht Club carrying a gun. The POA is aware that most anti-gun people did not attend the relevant board meeting or publicly speak out due to feelings of intimidation from those who support carrying guns.
The board has requested handguns be concealed without noting any consequences for noncompliance. More importantly, the board did not caution that although it’s legal in Tennessee to carry guns into an establishment that serves alcohol, it is illegal for a possessor to consume alcohol.
Management could be determined to be an accessory to the crime of serving liquor illegally. The penalty for violating the law is up to a year in jail and a fee of up to $2,500.
As this issue is so critical, the board is obligated to send out a ballot to every homeowner asking them to vote for or against a policy allowing individuals to carry handguns onto or into Village facilities.
Cheryl Peyton
Tellico Village
