neighbors seeing red over purple house

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP -- About 145 home owners in Bloomfield Township's Vernon Estates subdivision have agreed to pay up to $43,500 for a lawyer to force Sharon Kreindler to change the color of her purple house.

The dispute, which has turned into a battle between a woman with a favorite color and a home owners association's right to police a community's appearance, began last fall when Kreindler and her husband, Alfred, had their house painted </B>deep </B></B></B></B></I></I>purple.

Sharon Kreindler was surprised when neighbors complained. "We're not trying to antagonize anybody," she said.

But neighbors definitely are miffed. They say they'll sue the Kreindlers if that's what it takes to make them change the house color.

The home owners association is collecting $300 per family, said association president Michael Fishman. Only a few have refused to go along, he said.

The Kreindlers were having their house renovated last fall and decided on purple paint to finish it off. Alfred Kreindler's Birmingham doctor's office is decorated in purple. Sharon drives a purple Lincoln Town Car.

Klein said she's not opposed to purple, per se. But the </B>shade </B></B></B></B></I></I>Sharon Kreindler chose for her house is what grinds neighbor Catherine Klein.

"It's embarrassing," Klein said.

But Sharon Kreindler says her purple is historically correct. It dates to the 1890s, when purple in various shades was used on many Victorian houses.

Fishman said the subdivision has deed restrictions which allow it to determine exterior colors. But the Kreindlers' lawyer, Don Cutler, said the association has no color rule.

Bloomfield Township officials notified the Kreindlers last fall that they had violated the blight ordinance because their purple house could depress property values, but the trustees are still mulling what, if any, role they should play in the case, said Township Attorney Mark Roberts.

Fishman said he offered to have the association pay for repainting the house.

The Kreindlers have declined, saying that the association shouldn't pick the color of their home

http://web.archive.org/web/19991007020142/www.freep.com/news/locoak/npurple7.htm

While I agree that people should be allowed to paint their house any color they want, there is such a thing as "good taste," and "visual asthetics." (sp?)

We have something similar in our neighborhood. The corner house on our street is painted a gawd awful yellow. Next to it is a medium blue house; not a bad color, but could be better. Next to the blue house is a house painted bright orange with clashing yellow trim. There is this fountain in front of it that is almost as big as the peak of this tiny house, and huge 8' high rust colored rod iron gates, on this tiny property. There are actually GARGOYLES on the tops of the brick fencing pillars. Next to the orange and yellow house, is the house next to us, a house painted baby pink with baby blue trim. The long time residents in the area, call these four colorful properties, "rainbow row."

So, sometimes I tell people, "I'm like Dorothy, in the Wizard Of Oz. I live at the end of the rainbow."

Sprocket said:

There are actually GARGOYLES on the tops of the brick fencing pillars.

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LOL... you have to kind of admire someone who goes against the grain.

I think your rainbow row is more interesting the the cookie cutter surveys that are going up near where I live, every house the same.. row after row.. I don't know how people recognize their own house??

Well, when clients/friends come by they know when they are getting close to our house. You can't miss the gargoyles.

The article is dated May 7, 1999. It's been five years +, wonder what the resolution was?

WasBlind said:

The article is dated May 7, 1999. It's been five years +, wonder what the resolution was?

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Wow that is odd.. it came out of todays weird news links :doh: