Battle Over a Red Front Door

P loves color. When P bought a small cottage-style home, they painted the front door a deep, cheerful red — a perfect pop in a row of beige doors. For a year, no one said a word.

Then a new board president took over and declared P’s door “non-compliant.” A letter arrived: repaint the door within 30 days or face daily fines.

P asked for the official color list. There wasn’t one — just a vague reference to “community harmony.” P offered to discuss an approval process but was ignored.

Soon, other homeowners were told to remove planters, repaint shutters, or redo gardens — all based on unwritten “standards” that seemed to change at random.