A neighbor recently repainted her front door a warm yellow. She said it made the house feel brighter and more welcoming. Two weeks later, she got an official letter from our HOA: “Your door color is not compliant with the approved palette. Please repaint within 14 days to avoid fines.” She showed me the “approved palette.” It’s 12 shades of beige, gray, and white — nothing cheerful. The irony? The HOA website says it “encourages community individuality.” She’s now torn between keeping the color she loves or spending money to repaint it beige. And the fines start at $50 a day if she doesn’t comply. Sometimes it feels like the HOA exists just to drain creativity from the neighborhood. #House #HOA