Two months of planning, measuring twice before cutting, and building a tree house got 14-year-old Elise Truchan an “exemplary” grade for her Grade 8 project, but a big no-no from the authorities.
The Pennsylvania teen built the two-storey structure over the winter months, completing it in February. A month later, her family received a letter from building inspectors demanding that the structure be torn down or risk receiving a citation.
Featuring a rope ladder, wall-to-wall carpeting and a see-through roof for stargazing, the tree house was deemed to be a violation of Leet Township’s building codes after a neighbour filed a complaint.
“I was pretty devastated,” Elise told local newspaper TribLive.
The letter said that the tree house was considered an “accessory structure,” which the township does not allow in front yards. It also claimed that a building permit would be required for a tree house.
The Truchan family doesn’t have a backyard to build a tree house and Elise’s parents Jonathan and Vicki Truchan say they did their research before building. They didn’t find anything in the township’s building code about zoning or permits for playhouses.
“I was shocked because Elise put so much hard work into it,” Jonathan said in an interview with Fox News. “She worked so hard. We were broken-hearted for her.”
Jonathan and Vicki decided against filing an appeal and instead negotiated with officials. October 1 was agreed upon as the final tear-down date, giving the teen a few more months of enjoying her hard work.
The Truchans say they’re grateful that they can at least enjoy the tree house for the summer.
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