However, when a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Davis, moved next door, they seemed to have issues with the brightness of the color of Victoria’s home.
“Whoa! We’ve never seen a house so bright! Did you apply the paint yourself?” was one of the first things they asked when they introduced themselves.
“Yup, me and a gallon of sunshine!” Victoria answered. “What are your thoughts? Must I paint the mailbox after that?”
The couple wouldn’t stop bugging Victoria about the color of her home. “Bright enough for you, Victoria?!” Mr. Davis would often sneer and nudge his wife, and she would respond with a hyena-like cackle before asking, “Victoria, have you ever considered changing it? Perhaps something more impartial?”
This went on and on and one day Mrs. Davis approached Victoria while she was planting her petunias and said boldly, “Victoria, that color is so ugly! It goes with everything! It must be removed. For a change, how about something like… beige…?”
“Mrs. Davis, is that the reason for the commotion outside?” The looks on people’s faces led Victoria believe that a UFO had touched down. “But it’s only a tiny bit of paint!”
“A tiny bit of paint? Our neighborhood appears to have been invaded by a gigantic banana! Consider the worth of your property! You must be able to perceive how flashy it is,” Mrs. Davis scowled.
Victoria tried to stay composed. She explained that it was the color her late husband preferred and that she wasn’t breaking any legal rules with the choice of color. Sadly, Mrs. Davis was persistent and said, “Victoria, this isn’t over by a long shot!” and apparently she meant it because she and her husband put Victoria through plenty of ordeals by suing her for “safety hazard” and “blinding color.”
The Homeowners Against Bold Colors Association was their final effort, but the rest of the neighbors shut it down.
Nowadays, the pair are isolated from everyone and as welcome as a skunk at a picnic.
However, as Victoria believed her troubles are over, they have just started.
Namely, she needed to be out of town for around two weeks, a time the Davis family used to repaint her house grey without her knowledge.
When she returned home, Victoria missed her home, because this time she wasn’t welcomed by her yellow house, brilliant as a sunflower against the dull beige of the neighborhood.
Her stomach fell out. She was angry and couldn’t possibly believe that those two could do such a thing behind her back.
Victoria marched to the Davises’ house, the obvious culprits who couldn’t handle a bit of color in their dull world. She pounded on their door, but no one answered.
Mr. Thompson, one of the neighbor, approached. “I saw everything, Victoria. I have pictures. Despite having a legitimate work order, the police couldn’t do anything.”
“What do you mean, a valid work order?” she asked, totally puzzled.
He explained that the Davises forged her name, claiming she had paid for the repaint while away. After checking her security tape—smart, they avoided trespassing.
Victoria noticed traces of old yellow paint through the shoddy job.
She grabbed her ID and house documents and headed to the painting company’s office.
“You performed a terrible job painting my house without my permission. This can damage the exterior of the house. What’s that you know? I’ll sue you,” she yelled.
The manager apologized. “But… but we thought it was your house.”
“Of course, it’s MY house, but I DIDN’T ask for any paint job,” Victoria explained.
Furious, Victoria demanded a copy of the work order. It was in the Davises’ name. The manager, Gary, was shocked when he heard what the neighbors had done.
“Mr. and Mrs. Davis claimed it was their house and declined the scraping service to save money,” Gary said. “They wanted it done while they were out of town.”
Her blood boiled. “You didn’t confirm with the real homeowner? Check ownership records?”
Gary, regretful, replied, “They were convincing and claimed to own the house. I apologize.”
“And you didn’t ask any neighbors? You just painted my house?” Victoria started losing her temper.
Gary looked agitated. “We had no reason to doubt them. I’m sorry.”
Taking a deep breath, Victoria said, “You will help fix this. This is unacceptable.”
Sweat beaded on Gary’s temples. “Yes, we’ll work closely with you. We had no idea this could happen.”
“I want your workers to testify in court,” she insisted.
The Davises countersued, claiming she should pay for the paint job. The painting company’s employees testified against them. Her attorney detailed the damages and fraud.
The judge, after hearing everything, addressed the Davises. “You’ve destroyed her property and committed identity theft. This is both a criminal and civil matter.”
Eventually, the Davises were convicted of vandalism and fraud. They were sentenced to community service and ordered to pay all expenses, including court fees, to repaint Victoria’s house yellow.
“I hope you’re happy,” Mrs. Davis said angrily outside the courthouse.
Victoria treated her with a charming smile and said, “I will be when my house is YELLOW again!”
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