Family threatened with jail by homeowner’s association over purple playground

A purple playground has become a problem for a family from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, after their homeowner’s association is threatening them with fines, sanctions and even jail time if it’s not removed. The playground which was built by the family ended up getting a purple paint job as a compromise. The kids wanted pink, but settled on purple.

Marla Stout said they found a purple-tinted wood stain from Home Depot. The Raintree Lake Neighborhood Homeowner’s Association wasn’t happy about the compromise. “We got a notice that we were being fined by the HOA," Stout said. That was last year. The family fought it and won, but the dispute wasn’t over yet. The family received more letters outlining more serious consequences.
“(The letters said) that if we didn’t remove the swing set from the subdivision in a couple of weeks, we go to jail,” Stout said. She said the family talked to all of the neighbors who could see the playground from their homes and asked them to sign a petition saying that the color didn’t bother them. Stout said that the homeowner’s association told them it wasn’t good enough. “I think it’s ridiculous,” said Dillen Steeby, who lives next door.

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He said he sees the purple playground quite a bit and the homeowner’s association’s opposition to it has him seeing red. “I’m really perturbed that they would waste money pursuing something like this,” Steeby said. “Money on court costs and lawyer’s fees to attack really good people like this and go after a swing set.” HOA guidelines require a playground to be “subdued and within harmony with other colors of the community.” The homeowner’s association did not respond to a request for comment. The Stout family said the next step will be a trip before a judge. There is to be a community meeting soon.