FIRST HER CURB WAS DELIBERATELY MISPAINTED; THEN SHE GOT THE BRUSHOFF : PERSISTENCE GETS WOMAN THE RIGHT NUMBER.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

I've heard of these crews that roam neighborhoods painting house numbers on curbs for a ``donation'' and often seem to have trouble taking no for an answer. But this is the first time I've heard of one of them deliberately painting the wrong house number on a curb to get even with a woman who told them to take a hike.

It happened the day before Thanksgiving in Frances Saperstein's Northridge neighborhood.

Frances and a girlfriend were returning from the market when they noticed a flier on the front door announcing that a crew was coming through the neighborhood painting numbers on the curb for a ``$20 donation.''

I guess these guys haven't heard that the Fed has inflation under control. Twenty bucks for a couple of shots of $1.98 spray can paint. Right. Must be pretty labor-intensive work.

Anyway, Frances doesn't even have the key in the lock of her front door before two guys are on her like a couple of politicians looking for a vote.

``That's our flier,'' says the shorter of the two guys, according to Frances. ``We're going to paint your curb today.''

``I don't need my curb painted today,'' she says, shifting the bag of groceries in her arms. ``Another crew came through three months ago and painted my curb. I don't need it done again.''

``But we need the donation anyway, lady,'' said the taller of the two guys.

``I don't have the money,'' replied Frances, beginning to feel a little uneasy about two goons putting the arm on her in broad daylight for a $20 donation she had no intention of paying.

``Please just go away,'' Frances said.

``Well, we're painting your curb anyway,'' the shorter goon said over his shoulder as they walked away down the street.

And they did paint it later - with the wrong curb number.

``I didn't realize it until the next day, Thanksgiving, when some of my guests were late showing up,'' Frances said.

``They said the address on the curb was wrong, and they only found my place because they recognized my car in the driveway. I went outside and took a look, and sure enough, the number was about 10 houses off.''

The following day, Frances called LAPD Devonshire Division police to report the incident. She was told it was probably best to call City Hall, the street maintenance department.

Frances Saperstein didn't know it, but she was about to enter the City Hall Twilight Zone - a dimension not of sight or sound, but of mind.

The bureaucrats were about to play with Frances Saperstein's mind.

``I went through eight or nine departments getting the handoff each time,'' she said. ``No one seemed to be able to find my problem within their job description.

``The last person I talked to said he knew of a private company that would come out and paint over the curb with the right numbers for $25, plus a transportation fee.

``I kind of got the feeling that maybe this was a relative of the guy trying to make a few bucks. It was a 213 number, located in El Monte. I decided to pass on the offer.''

That was Monday. On Tuesday, Frances called the Devonshire Division back, ``Spinning my tale of woe to them again,'' she said, laughing.

I like this woman's style. If at first you don't succeed, keep bugging someone until you do.

Anyway, Frances filed a vandalism report over the phone. ``I gave them all the information I had, and they were all so sweet to me,'' she said.

An hour later, Frances got a call from an officer who said they were coming out to paint over her curb with the right numbers.

And that's what they did. LAPD community relations officers Larry Carmona and Doug Burns showed up with a few wayward youths who are doing community service time after being caught painting graffiti on walls.

On Tuesday, they were busy repaying some of their debt to society by painting the right house numbers back on Frances Saperstein's curb.

And she didn't even have to pay anyone a $20 donation for the privilege.