paintbrushWho doesn't love a good neighborhood dispute?

The Hatfields and the McCoys are rearing their ugly heads in a Massachusetts neighborhood, and they're toting paintbrushes.

Chatham on Cape Cod is now home to a historic house painted in a fluorescent palette of green, lime, and citrus yellow.

The Boston Globe reports the home's owners were cranky with refusals from the municipality to allow them to make certain renovations.

But they didn't just get pissed, they pulled out the pigments. And a neon green monstrosity was born.

Not the best way to make nicey nice with the neighbors, but I can't help giving them a thumbs up for having the chutzpah to go for it.

If there's any appropriate way to do it, they did it -- making sure the colors are complementary, the painting is neat, and the other neighbors' properties aren't technically affected.

Not technically.

In this case, the historic Greek revival house is beloved by the town -- which means everyone thinks they have some rights over it.

Living in a small town, I see this attitude frequently. People think they should have a say in every minute detail of their neighbors' lives. 

I hate to say it ... wait, no, I don't hate it at all ... if you want to make a decision on a piece of property, buy it! Or go live in a gated community with neighborhood association rules.

I would never paint my house the garish pink and purple of a home in a town near mine or this neon green, but I thrive on individuality. A neighborhood's aesthetic only gets you so far if you're not happy in your own home.

Do you think houses should match in a neighborhood?

 

Image via alancleaver_2000/Flickr