Where are your hearts? The Las Vegas HOA fights a family over her 12-year-old autistic daughter’s beloved backyard treehouse because they say she is “too tall” and “violates her policies,” despite her she can’t be seen from outside
- Phil Edgar told DailyMail.com that his daughter Claire ‘loves’ the treehouse and doesn’t want to be parted from it.
- HOA complained it’s too tall because it’s over 6ft and not ‘invisible’
- The family is trying to appeal to them to allow them to keep the structure as it is.
A Las Vegas HOA is fighting with a family over the amazing backyard treehouse they built for their autistic daughter, simply because it doesn’t fit their strict rules.
Phil Edgar, who works in technology sales, lives in a gated community in Las Vegas with his wife Lily, 14-year-old son Colin and 12-year-old daughter Claire, who has autism.
When the couple recently began renovating their home, Lily, who has a passion for design, was eager to create an outdoor space for Claire to play.
The treehouse in the Edgar family’s backyard. Phil Edgar built it for his 12-year-old daughter Claire, who often plays alone.
Claire, 12, is autistic and likes to play in the treehouse, but she is mostly alone. Her parents say she “loves” having her own space.
She dreamed of the charming treehouse, complete with a charming mailroom, basketball hoop and gazebo, and asked the handymen completing the renovation to put it together.
But the Las Vegas Country Club Teachers Association told the family they had to go.
They say that because the treehouse is about 25 feet off the ground, it doesn’t meet the 6 foot maximum height requirement.
Now, Phil is appealing to the board to see the value of the treehouse, after failing to appeal to its humanity.
‘I would really like to settle this amicably. I’m trying to get clarity on exactly what rules we’re breaking.
They say it has to be invisible from the outside and it mostly is. We go back to a golf course and they don’t care, it’s fine with them.
The fancy treehouse is next to the family pool and hidden behind a tree, but the HOA says it violates their rules.
The tree house is barely visible from the golf course that the house overlooks
An aerial view of the backyard and tree, where the structure for 12-year-old Claire was built.
Claire’s mother, Lily, designed the treehouse for her when the family was renovating.
The pretty interiors, where Claire, who has autism, likes to play by herself.
The treehouse overlooks the pool and the family’s backyard. It has its back to a golf course, but the family says the course has no problem.
The structure is about 12 feet above the ground and is disguised among the trees in the family yard.
His house overlooks a golf course, but the owners say they don’t have a problem with that.
The elegant family home, in the gated community of Las Vegas
Phil Edgar with his wife Lily and their autistic daughter Claire, who ‘loves’ the treehouse
I’m trying to get a blanket statement that doesn’t fit, where I have something.
When contacted by DailyMail.com, the chairman of the board, Alan Stamm, declined to comment, saying it would be “illegal” for him to discuss it.
‘I don’t know where it’s going to land.’
He even commissioned a report from an arborist to prove that the structure is not doing any damage to the tree.
‘The board of directors has about six people, they meet monthly and make a joint decision of the board.
“I don’t know them personally, I assume they live in the community,” he added.
He said the board was “very neutral” and listened to his requests, but did not immediately relent.
When contacted by DailyMail.com, the chairman of the board, Alan Stamm, declined to comment, saying it would be “illegal” for him to discuss it.
The board will meet again next month.