Why did he vandalize his own home?

If you have seen the graffiti on the big white house in West Dundee, here's the explanation.

When most people have a beef with their village, they attend board meetings, write letters to the editor or contact village staff for assistance.

But a few weeks ago, when West Dundee resident Andrew Grzybowski was upset that the village cut his grass without his permission, Grzybowski responded in an unusual manner: he vandalized his own home.

Grzybowski, who lives at the corner of South First and Liberty streets, scrawled black graffiti on his white house, warning people not to move to the village without first reading local ordinances.

The epithets read, "Don't Move To Dundee," "Warning," "Stay Away," and "Read the Ordinance," among other words.

It all apparently started almost two weeks ago when public works employees from the village were sent out to mow Grzybowski's lawn and cut down tall weeds in his yard. The homeowner had received a notice to maintain the property or else face a fine.

Since it was a difficult time of his life, Grzybowski put off the chore and waited for the village to issue a fine.

The village never did issue the fine but instead completed the yard work and billed Grzybowski.

Upset that the public works employees were on his property without his permission, Grzybowski said he asked the men to leave. But as they packed up their tools and equipment, Grzybowski said a police officer stepped up and ordered the work completed.

That's when Grzybowski took out the black spray paint and started scrawling.

Things went downhill after that because the village then ticketed Grzybowski for failing to remove the graffiti within three days.

He is scheduled to appear in Carpentersville local court on July 16.

As of Thursday, Grzybowski said he was working to erase it.

The incident sounds like it stems from a long feud between Grzybowski and the village regarding a home improvement project Grzybowski started more than six years ago.

While the homeowner says the village made it financially impossible to finish the project, rendering him bankrupt, Village Manager Joe Cavallaro says the village has bent over backward to help the resident.

In other news from West Dundee, the post office on Route 31, or 611 S. Eighth St., will extend its operating hours effective July 1.

The post office will open 30 minutes earlier and close a half-hour later.

Full retail hours are now 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday hours remain the same, opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 2 p.m.

A news release says the new hours will make it more convenient for customers to use Postal Service products.