A loving father in Las Vegas constructed an incredible treehouse structure in his backyard for his 12-year-old daughter, but a recent ruling from his HOA may mean he has to tear it down.
Philip Edgar and his family live in a neighborhood overseen by the Las Vegas Country Club Master Association, according to 8 News Now. As Edgar explained to the news station, he wanted to meet his daughter's unique needs with the design.
"Claire has a bit of a learning disability, so she is a little bit of a loner and spends a lot of time at home and not with her friends," he told the outlet. "So it is good for her to play in the garden."
To give her something to do outside, Edgar built a large, elaborate treehouse that took up a large portion of the yard.
The incredible structure was any child's dreamland, with swings, hammocks, nets for climbing, multiple platforms and bridges surrounded with rails, benches, a small basketball hoop, and, towering over everything, a fully enclosed treehouse with a peaked roof. The structure also incorporated a beautiful tree with a divided trunk, a vine-covered trellis, and many smaller plants in planters.
Las Vegas HOA tells father to demolish autistic daughter's treehousehttps://t.co/HRtKkIOhV9#LatestNews pic.twitter.com/IaXSFUe7Um
— NowMyNews (@NowMyNews) March 17, 2023
"We call it a treehouse, but that doesn't really do it justice," said Edgar. "It really is a piece of art."
The Southern Nevada Arborist Group, which assessed the treehouse, agreed wholeheartedly. In its report, it said, "This feature needs to be preserved and maintained as a benefit for the homeowner, community, and the greater Las Vegas valley population."
However, the HOA disagreed. The association didn't respond to 8 News Now's request for comment, and it's currently unclear whether the treehouse itself violated any rules. However, it does seem that Edgar failed to go through the HOA's approval process before he started construction.
"It is our fault for not following up on the rules up front and getting all the proper permissions before we built it," Edgar told 8 News Now.
However, now the treehouse is up, and it's bringing clear joy to Claire. But not for long, unless the Las Vegas Country Club Master Association's rules change or the board makes an exception.
"Probably we are going to have to completely tear it down or move it to the ground so it's invisible to the outside world," Edgar told 8 News Now.
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