Colorado pottery business owner faces jail time over dispute with county, "seemed like such hyperbole"

Hundreds of pieces of pottery outside a house in the Denver metro area need to disappear in a little over two weeks, or the owners will be arrested. It's the culmination of a long-term dispute between Adams County and small business A House of Pots.

The saga has included a years-long court battle, a near $5,000 fine and the threat of imprisonment. Ultimately, it's forcing the business to relocate.

"I thought, 'Oh, I'll get a commercial property. I'll pay all my taxes, I'll be above board,'" said A House of Pots owner Ian Bramlett.

Bramlett opened A House of Pots in a commercially zoned home at 1620 W. 74th Way in 2020. It's a Denver address, but it is technically in Adams County. Bramlett and his family don't live in the house. Rows of pottery stretch across the backyard, while cactus and other plants grow inside.

"Took the opportunity to move my family from California to Colorado to establish a business and a life here," said Bramlett. "Fundamental pairing to any pottery business is plants, and any plant business needs pots."

But in 2022, he received the first citation from Adams County, starting what would become a long battle centered around the outdoor storage of pottery.

"The issue is in Adams County on C-2 commercial properties, you're not allowed to keep merchandise outside overnight, and there's really not any workarounds," said Bramlett.

Bramlett says he eventually reached a settlement agreement with the county, contingent on his continued efforts to become compliant. While moving the pots inside wasn't feasible, Bramlett says he tried to change future zoning and explored building a roof over the yard. But Adams County didn't seem to think Bramlett was holding up his end of the deal.

"There was multiple years of attempts that were ultimately thwarted in part by the actual board of commissioners of Adams County," said Bramlett. "So it turns out it's tough, tough luck for me."

Adams County said it could not comment on pending litigation, but shared an April 15 court order outlining how Bramlett and his wife, who is a co-owner of the business, were found in contempt of court in February. It says they were given until March to remove the outdoor inventory.

When they did not remove the pots, the court placed daily $100 sanctions on them.

The order states Bramlett owes $4,400 to the Board of Adams County Commissioners and that he and his wife will be imprisoned May 18 unless the contempt is purged.

"It seemed like such hyperbole, that this would be the penalty for crime," said Bramlett.

This week, Bramlett paid the county.

"I will not be going to jail. I'll be relocating. I've been making preparations. When life closes the door, sometimes it opens a window," said Bramlett.

He's found a new home for A House of Pots in Denver's Valverde district.

"Come check me out at Federal and Second," said Bramlett. "It's a larger space, and most importantly, it's all enclosed and it's industrial. So the zoning agrees with the usage."

Bramlett says he won't be selling the original house, but will use it for other business purposes.

"This is the original House of Pots. There's a lot of sentiment here," said Bramlett. "I'm going to offer a bunch of new services and experiences at my new shop. This is going to take us to the next level. So I'm quite excited about it."

Bramlett is choosing to see the pot half full.

"Just because you feel defeated today doesn't mean that you can't pick yourself up tomorrow and strive to do more," said Bramlett. "Life hands you lemons. Make lemonade."

Some lemonade to come out of the situation, Bramlett says, has led to a lot of publicity and more traffic at his shop.

It could also be good news for anyone in need of a deal on pots. Bramlett has marked down all his inventory. He's hoping to have everything sold or moved to the new location by May 11, one week before the May 18 deadline.

"It's been a great ride. I owe the great people of Denver and greater Colorado everything, and I thank you all for the opportunity and experience. We'll see you at the next chapter," said Bramlett.