After over a week on hiatus (due to illness), I'm finally posting again! There's a story about how a family in Vancouver is being told they must pay $3500 in permits to keep a tree house they built. Somehow, the father who is an architect spent $2500 just building the thing already, so he's obviously not very ready to part with it.

[The father] insists the city told them in August they could build the tree fort because there was nothing on the books to prevent it.

But the city's David McLellan said there is no record of anyone from city hall talking to the couple. He said the couple have been advised they can try to get a development permit for the tree house by supplying the needed paperwork, including a survey, drawings and photos. "We acted upon a complaint," said McLellan. "Typically, no structures are allowed in the front yard."

The city's Paul Herity said the complaint from a neighbour may have more to do with an extensive renovation the couple are doing. "There's some friction between the neighbours and we're caught in between," he said. "We're not out looking for tree forts."

The neighbour who complained refused to comment.

Sounds like some awfully fun neighbors. They're probably the ones in the neighborhood who at Halloween give the trick-or-treaters some toothbrushes... pennies... walnuts.