Homeowner Refuses To Get Rid Of Lawn Flamingos Despite Neighbors Accusing Them Of Lowering Property Value In The Neighborhood
Who knew lawn flamingos were so divisive?
BearFotos | Shutterstock Everyone has their own taste and sense of style, and you can't dictate what other people prefer. Still, one demanding woman attempted to do just that because she was displeased with her neighbor's choice of yard decor, specifically their lawn flamingos, which she wanted removed. Of course, the homeowner refused, and drama ensued.
The homeowner refused to remove their lawn flamingos despite neighbors accusing them of lowering property value in the neighborhood.
“I bought a house a couple [of] years ago and I have been working on making it look nicer,” the homeowner wrote in a Reddit post. “I spent a lot of time redoing the front gardens, trying to make it neat and nice.”
Recently, they found what they believed to be the perfect addition to their garden: lawn flamingos — and on clearance, no less! "I knew they belonged in my garden," they said. "They’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think they’re a lot of fun."
Reeva | Shutterstock
"I set them up when I got home, and a couple [of] days later, my neighbor was knocking on my door," they recalled. "She was demanding I take down my flamingos because they’re 'extremely gauche' and 'lowering the property value of the neighborhood.'"
The homeowner decided to stand their ground, defending their flamingos. "I told her I am not taking them down because I like them, and the property value isn’t going to be hurt by two yard flamingos," they wrote. “I also don’t live in an HOA, and as far as I am aware, there are no town ordinances about yard flamingos."
The neighbor continued to escalate the situation.
Rather than accepting that the homeowner can put whatever decorations they choose on their property, the neighbor took the situation to Facebook. "She has posted pictures of my house, the street I live on, and a close-up of my flamingos in our town’s Facebook group to complain about them," they wrote.
This has received varying responses. “Some people agreed I should take them down,” they admitted. “After that, another neighbor came over to tell me to get rid of them. My mom also agreed I should take them down to keep the peace with my neighbor.”
Other commenters suggested the Redditor report the neighbor for her post and potentially take legal action.
As for the homeowner, they have no plans to remove the controversial flamingos. "I like them, I smile when I see them when I pull into my driveway," they said.
Cluttered yards can decrease property value, but we are talking about two lawn flamingos.
Speaking to House Beautiful, Rebecca Hidalgo Rains, CEO of the real estate firm Integrity All Stars Realty, noted that "lack of upkeep is the biggest way neighbors can dissuade prospective buyers from buying in a particular neighborhood."
"A neighbor who rarely cuts their grass, doesn’t weed their yard, and keeps a bunch of junk outside can pull down property values on the whole block," she said. "You can make a home look as beautiful as possible, but if the house next to it looks awful, it is going to hurt home values. No one wants to live next to an eyesore."
Still, there is a big difference between an "eyesore" and a pair of flamingos. "I’ve done more to raise the property value than take away," the homeowner stressed in a comment. "I don’t think the neighborhood is hurting because of two things I could easily pluck out of the yard. But by redoing the garden in the front, I’ve made the house look much nicer.
Ultimitely, this homeowner is not obligated to cater their decorations to the tastes of their neighbors.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
