Homeowner Exacts Emoji Revenge On Snitching Neighbor

A Manhattan Beach homeowner is in no mood to tolerate snitching neighbors, after being fined $4,000 by the city for violating its restriction against short-term rentals.  The homeowner has expressed her contempt for her nosey neighbors by painting her home pink and topping it off with two emojis.  The top emoji dons googly eyes with long eyelashes, a not-so-subtle shot at the offending neighbor who says she was wearing eyelash extensions when she once met the homeowner.  The bottom emoji is a less-subtle “shut-up” emoji.  According to the LA Times, the artist who painted the home, Z the Art, initially posted a picture of the home on Instagram with the caption “Are your neighbors constantly ratting you out? Have they cost you thousands in fines? Why risk a case when you can send them a pretty message?”

The homeowner now claims that she is not attempting to offend anyone, and that she had the painting done “for the purpose of being happy, being positive, and I think it’s cute and quirky and kind of funny, and certainly was a time for the emoji.”  Her neighbors have taken a less positive outlook, amidst concerns about the painting’s impact on the value of nearby homes.  The city, meanwhile, appears to have its hands tied, stating that it has “very little, if any” jurisdiction over murals painted on private property without any public funding.

It remains to be seen how long this battle will last.  One thing, though, is for sure – restrictions against short-term rentals will continue to create a divide between homeowners who feel they have the right to do as they wish with their property and neighbors resisting an influx of short-term residents.

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