Dear Editor:

We’re writing to amend and clarify a few issues raised in CJ Baker’s extensive coverage (Aug. 15) of our HOA dispute. First of all, the Cody Ranchettes covenants do not require homes to be painted with a single earth tone; they specify “earth tones consistent with the blending with the natural environment.” The HOA failed to note the distinction between a singular and plural noun; “tones” means more than one for those fluent in English.

The HOA’s initial contention that our tetrad paint scheme “diminished the value of surrounding properties” is absurd and baseless in the extreme; the opposite is true, we lifted everyone else’s boat in fact. This reminds us why they were originally called “restrictive covenants” — they kept out people of color, mostly black and Hispanic, with the xenophobic, racist premise and self-fulfilling prophecy that such folks depreciated the elite whites’ home prices. Same vinegary wine (whine?) in a new/old crock here. This is the mere assertion of attenuated home values absent a shred of proof or evidence, a vapor trail of prejudice against the creative, original, or just plain different.

The malice-laden, toxic smoke emanating from HOA member Diane Dee Champlin should’ve been flagged in transit by the Environmental Protection Agency. We in fact knew nothing about any restrictive covenants when we bought our house in 2005. We were defrauded by the realtor into signing a defective (by omission) contract, now under investigation by the Wyoming Real Estate Commission and Certified Appraiser Board. For Champlin to allege Kelly is “acting like a bully” sounds like textbook projection as a defense mechanism. This dispute began on Hitler’s birthday, April 20, when two former HOA managers came to our door to pick a fight, intimidate and threaten us with a playact attorney/process server/landlord song and dance act that flopped. Champlin can bloviate about our motives, etc. on social media until the 12th of never, this case was settled on points of contract law, in which the HOA found itself outclassed, outgunned, outlawyered and out- maneuvered. The HOA’s halo has been definitively knocked askew, their alleged record of past triumphs shattered like a glass house.

Nonetheless, Debra and I firmly believe this epidemic of felony house painting is second only to the opioid crisis in exigency. Instead of getting to paint our house four colors plus five grand, we know we both deserved long prison terms.

Very truly yours,

Kelly and Debra Hennessy

Cody