Landlord goes viral for calling tenant’s sidewalk chalk art ‘disrespectful’ and forcing her to wash it away
Kara Vaughn (@varakaughn) is a talented sidewalk chalk artist who shares her creations on her TikTok page. However, not everyone appreciates her art.
On May 28, Vaughn shared a video explaining that her landlord’s wife confronted her about her driveway chalk drawings, calling them “disrespectful” and demanding she removes them.
Problems with landlords are common on TikTok, with tenants often sharing what challenging life as a renter can be, especially when landlords lean towards bending the law to their benefit.
In Vaughn’s case, she said she tried to explain to the landlord and his wife that the drawings were just chalk and wash off easily with water, but she claimed they continued to be upset and even suggested she could find somewhere else to rent if she didn’t like it there.
After her video received over 14.7 million views, Vaughn posted a follow-up video featuring a full conversation she had with the landlord’s wife over the phone.
Vaughn said she had texted the wife to ask if she could have a copy of her lease, presumably to check what it stipulated about her rights to draw on the driveway and sidewalk, which prompted the wife to call Vaughn on the phone.
The conversation lasted more than six minutes and consisted of the landlord’s wife repeatedly saying she “doesn’t understand” and that she is “disappointed” in Vaughn.
When Vaughn explained that she would no longer be making chalk art in the driveway but would be chalking on the public sidewalks — and claimed that she had okayed it with the city — the wife became even more upset.
“I know it’s art to you, but to some people, it’s not; it’s graffiti,” the wife said to Vaughn over the phone.
“I’m not trying to start any problems,” Vaughn replied. “I’m just drawing. I’m just drawing because it’s summer…because I live here.”
The Hutchinson News, the local newspaper where Vaughn lives, reported that they had confirmed with the city that there are no ordinances against “appropriate” sidewalk chalk art on public sidewalks. And Vaughn’s lease does not specifically forbid sidewalk chalk art either, the landlord admitted.
Still, the wife said she would consult her attorney about the chalk art: “I will go to an attorney because I’m very unhappy about all of this. I’m sorry that you have little respect for any of our feelings.”
Many of Vaughn’s followers urged her to take action and organize a “Chalk the Town” event in response to the landlord and his wife, and it looks like she decided to do just that.
She announced that she partnered with the City of Hutchinson to host a “Chalk the Town” event on July 1st and 2nd, complete with food trucks, live music, a scavenger hunt and lots of prizes.
If you’re local, you can RSVP to the event on Facebook. And if you can’t make it, Vaughn encourages everyone to get involved by creating their own chalk masterpieces at home or wherever they find themselves with the hashtag #chalktheworld.
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