A couple in Harris County, Texas, said they received death threats after a photo of their home—which had been recently painted bright teal—was posted online on a realty website.
An anonymous realtor posted a photo of their home online, drawing a bevy of criticism. The realtor asked for opinions on property value and aesthetic appeal.
“Everything from ‘white trash Californians, what are they doing here’ to ‘we want to hang them,’” said Keely of the comments.
A week later, the homeowner association that approved the color sent them a letter asking the couple to re-paint it.
“So we are a little confused,” Peter said, expressing confusion about what colors are allowed. “Are we in compliance or not?”
“It got approved by [the homeowner’s association] and a week and a half later we got a letter saying that we need to re-paint. For us, it was scary and the fact that people are coming onto our property to take pictures of our address,” Keely said.
“I think it’s cute,” neighbor Amanda Dennard told the station. “It does look cute like a doll house, but it doesn’t fit in the neighborhood.” Added another, Theresa Nichols “I’m not too fond of the color of the house, but didn’t think they should be punished like that.”
The realtor who posted the picture of their home online didn’t intend to cause such a negative backlash. “That [was] absolutely not my intention and I apologize that other people got out of hand with it and they shouldn’t have,” the unnamed realtor told KHOU. “I hope they’re ashamed of themselves.”
However, according to local reports, some neighbors responded positively to the color of the home.
According to the website, they can control:
- House color, type and color of shingles or roofing, even house size.
- Whether or not you can even have a fence or hedge, how tall they can be and where they can be placed.
- Plant life, flowers, any vegetation. An HOA can regulate types and amount of plants and flowers you can plant on your property, and where you can plant them. Some HOAs even regulate when and how often you have to mow and/or water your own lawn.
- Mailboxes and garbage cans can be regulated by size and shape, and where they may be placed.
- In most HOAs, you must have an approved type of ornamental light to hang outside for Christmas, Halloween, and other holidays.
HOAs can issue fines and can fine homeowners again for the non-payment or non-compliance of citations. In extreme cases, the “non-payment of these fines and fees can even result in your home being forced into foreclosure,” the website states.
