This Family Is Fighting Town Officials To Save Their Kids’ Tree House

Feb 12, 2019 by apost team

Many adults have fond memories of building and playing in a treehouse as a child, and John Lepper wanted to provide his children with similar magical memories as well. He painstakingly designed and built a large, beautiful treehouse for his two children in his backyard, but this sweet fatherly gesture opened up a big can of worms with the local government.

The tree house sits on a large tree nestled well above the ground, and it has the charming feel of a cozy log cabin.

It has a pitched roof, wood planks, numerous window openings and a sturdy ladder leading up to it from the ground. Most importantly, the tree house covers an area of 86 square feet.

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The Lepper’s home is in the small New York community of Babylon Village, which has and strictly enforces its building codes. When John received a notice from the local government that this structure was not in compliance with local building codes and a fine for not obtaining the proper permits before building it, John was floored.

Furthermore, the government has ordered the structure to be removed and has forbidden the family from using it because it poses a safety risk to the children.

According to John, he built a safe, aesthetically-pleasing structure on his own property for his children to play in.

He has refused to remove the tree house, and instead, he has chosen to take the matter to court. To support his case, he is citing a building a local code that states that permits are not required if a structure is less than 90 square feet.

John has already endured three court appearances, and he continues to battle for his right to have this tree house on his property. Do you have any similar stories about fighting against the government for a cause that you wholeheartedly stand behind? Leave your comments below for our readers to enjoy.