LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Imagine painting your home and halfway through being told to stop by the very homeowners association that approved it. That's what one Lakewood family claims happened to them.
Emmanuel Zarate started painting his mother's home in August. The green-colored paint was approved by the HOA, according to Zarate. He showed Denver7 documents to prove it. Zarate said everything was stopped halfway through the job.
"The president...while we were in the process of painting...came and told me to halt what I was doing," said Zarate. "He told me to stop what I was doing because we were getting too many neighbor complaints."
Zarate went on to say that the HOA President changed his mind about the color after seeing what it looked like on the house. He added the President promised he would foot the bill for whatever new paint was bought.
"Tuesday came...never saw him...Wednesday came...never saw him," said Zarate. "There were too many things going on and too much slow rolling with them. So I said I was going to contact Denver7."
We showed up and started asking questions, calling the neighborhood HOA. While Denver7 reporter Eric Lupher was at the home, the President of the HOA, Rich Harrison, showed up on Zarate's front lawn. He claimed he was trying for days to get a hold of Zarate's mom to resolve the issue.
"If they want us to change this color that's fine...I'll come back and I'll paint it on my off days," said Zarate. "On my spare time I'll come back and paint it like they want us to...but I'm not footing the bill this time."
Harrison wouldn't talk on camera but told Denver7 he would resolve the issue to please both parties even if that meant buying new paint.
After Denver7 left, Harrison met Zarate at a Home Depot and footed the bill for brand new paint. This time, the paint was a more neutral color.
Zarate believes nothing would have been done if he didn't call Denver7 for help.
The clock is ticking for Zarate. He said his mother is in danger of losing her homeowner's insurance. She has until the end of the month to get her house painted before her insurance is canceled.
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