'Emoji House' at the center of neighborhood dispute in California

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- A neighborhood feud is erupting in California over a house painted hot pink with a pair of giant emojis decorating the exterior.

The Manhattan Beach home, dubbed the "Emoji House" by fans, is hot pink and features an emoji with its tongue out and a second emoji with its mouth zipped shut.

Neighbors accuse the owner, Kathryn Kidd, of adopting the unusual decor as retribution after she was fined $4,000 for illegally using the house for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, which is banned in Manhattan Beach.

An Instagram post from the artist who painted the home originally featured the caption: "Are your neighbors constantly ratting you out? Have they cost you thousands in fines? Have you wanted to tell them off lately? Why risk a case, when you can hire me to paint them a pretty message?"

Kidd denied the emoji paintings were intentionally designed to irk her neighbors.

"It's a message to me to be positive and happy and love life," she told CBS Los Angeles. "I have eyelash extensions. The eyes are like a Mona Lisa eye. They kind of follow you."