For many people being forced to stay inside and homeschool their kids has meant more work but also new opportunities to spend quality time together.
There is no doubt that this pandemic has meant kids are spending even more time in front of their screens so one dad decided to use his time at home to build a treehouse with his sons so they could have lots of adventures together outside.
The dad called his creation a treefort and his sons were encouraged to explore more of the outdoors thanks to their newly built playhouse in the sky – that was until a passerby lodged a complaint about the building with the Homeowner’s Association (HOA).
It appears the dad, who calls himself Dave, lives near a walking trail. One regular user felt it necessary to lodge a complaint which was upheld by the HOA and the dad was forced to tear the fort down.
In response the dad pinned an angry note on the tree addressing the anonymous complainer, which he then shared on Reddit.
The letter begins: “Don’t worry, you’re safe now! Your act of casual cruelty was successful.
“The complaint you lodged with the HOA was heard. They made me take down the small treefort that I built on this location with my sons during the pandemic.
“No longer will its presence offend your walk past my house. Please enjoy your stroll free from the sound of my children’s play and laughter,” he added.
The letter concluded: “They are safely back inside now, watching television I’m sure.
“Enjoy the unobstructed view of my backyard. I will try to keep it up to code.”
His post has gone viral with thousands siding with the dad, who just wanted to build something exciting so his boys would be encouraged to play outside.
“Boomers: Why don’t the kids these days play outside like we used to instead of just sitting in front of the tv all day?” wrote one user. “Also Boomers: Let’s destroy the outside and make so many rules that it’s no longer fun to play outside!”
“Some people need everyone to be as unhappy as they are. How dare you be happy?” commented another user.
According to Dave, the tree fort was at least two feet from the trail, no so passers-by were in any danger, as per the New York Post.
Dave posted the scathing the note on a tree inside a plastic sleeve to protect it, ensuring his message will undoubtedly reach the person it was intended for.
‘If you can’t beat em, join em’
Homeowners’ Associations can be particularly powerful in some neighborhoods covering everything from structures, to the color of a house to the condition of homeowners’ lawns.
Many had advice for ways Dave could change the rules of the association in his favor with one user saying he decided to show up to meetings after his local HOA tried to introduce some “weird architecture rules.”
“Come to find out, out of the hundred or so residences only about eight people show up to each meeting making us a good third of the votes…If you can’t beat em, join em,” the user wrote.
Sadly it’s all a bit late for Dave’s kids’ treehouse. What do you think of this dad having to tear down the treehouse he built for his children?
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