A Harris County, Texas, couple says they have received death threats after a picture of their house, which they painted bright teal, was posted online.
Keely and Peter Dubrova say that their decision to paint their house a shade of teal was approved by their homeowner’s association (HOA), KHOU 11 reported.
They decided to paint the house teal while remodeling, in order to make their home feel more like their own.
“I wanted to know this was my sanctuary,” Keely told KHOU.
After an anonymous realtor posted a picture of the Dubrova couple’s home online asking for opinions on property value and aesthetic appeal, hundreds of people responded with some very harsh comments.
“Everything from ‘white trash Californians, what are they doing here’ to ‘we want to hang them,’” said Keely.
A week and a half after the HOA initially approved the color of the Dubrovas’ house, the couple got a letter asking them to re-paint the house.
The realtor who originally posted the picture of the home didn’t want to reveal her identity but said she did not intend to cause such a backlash by the post.
“That [was] absolutely not my intention and I apologize that other people got out of hand with it and they shouldn’t have,” the realtor told KHOU. “I hope they’re ashamed of themselves.”
The Dubrovas are unsure of what they should do next. They said they have reached out to their HOA via email and in person to clarify what colors are approved and what they need to change.
“So we are a little confused,” Peter said. “Are we in compliance or not?”
The home has become a popular topic of discussion in the town.
“I think it’s cute,” neighbor Amanda Dennard said. “It does look cute like a doll house, but it doesn’t fit in the neighborhood.”
“I’m not too fond of the color of the house, but didn’t think they should be punished like that,” Theresa Nichols, another resident of the community, said.
The Dubrovas said they are willing and happy to comply with the HOA’s rules, but they want to know what they are to avoid any further trouble.
“This is our life,” Keely said. “We live it for each other. We’ve worked hard to afford something like this and I feel like people are squashing our dream.”
The neighborhood and the couple are hoping to get answers at the next HOA meeting on Oct. 26.