Family Faces Treehouse Trouble

A nearly yearlong battle over a treehouse moves to a courtroom in New Jersey.

The 12-by-12-foot wooden fort that was built for Katie Tenebruso of Emerson cost $6,000 and includes a staircase, four Anderson windows, a deck and a bunk bed. It was built on wetlands that aren't even owned by the family.

Neighbor Joe Geronimo tells The Record newspaper the treehouse is a monstrosity. He says he filed a complaint after asking the family to build the fort on the ground.

Paula Tenebruso has hired an attorney to try to avoid paying a $500 fine.

Tenebruso says the town considers the tree fort that was built for her daughter Katie by Tenebruso long-time boyfriend a secondary structure, which requires permits and height regulations.

“How do you have a treehouse with a height requirement? It doesn’t make any sense,” Tenebruso’s boyfriend Allen Chaloub told The Record.

A municipal judge on Thursday could decide whether to tear the fort down.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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