Heartless Homeowner's Association Denies Sick Child Her Wish

Today I was scrolling through my newsfeed when I saw an epic throat punch story happening almost literally in my back yard. I couldn't resist chiming in. I know a lot of you have read my Suburban Scourges book think I exaggerate about how awful some of the people are who live near me. I think this story will show you that I can't make this shit up.

Picture courtesy of the family
So, here's the story. There is a six-year-old girl named Ella who lives in a nearby town. She is very sick with cancer and she applied to Make-a-Wish. Her wish? It wasn't a trip to Disney or a hot air balloon ride. She wanted a playhouse. She wanted a playhouse in her backyard that she could play in on days when she felt strong enough. Make-a-Wish said: DONE. Then JE Dunn (a big time construction firm that builds stuff like the performing arts center) stepped up and said, We'll build it. We'll make it perfect. We'll even match the shingles on the houses in the neighborhood.

Then Ella's parents took their proposal to their Homeowner's Association (HOA) and the board looked it over and then said, NO.

NOOOOO?

Are you fucking kidding me?

Did you miss the part where I said Ella has cancer, you heartless assholes? Did you miss the part where I said that JE Dunn would build it right down to the matching shingles? What is wrong with this HOA board? Who are these people and where do they get off abusing what little power they have like this?

I tell you, HOAs are the best and the worst things ever. As a Realtor, I like HOAs because they keep neighborhoods clean and tidy. They make sure that no one has a bright pink house or a tarp for a roof. I appreciate that the HOA doesn't allow above ground pools or drive ways full of cars on blocks. They make sure that my neighbor's house retains its value so that my house can also retain its value.

HOWEVER. I've served on HOA boards before and you can always find a few power-hungry people on there who carry measuring tapes in their car so they can jump out and measure rogue blades of grass at any moment. These are the same people who make it illegal to hang your laundry or grow a large garden in your backyard. I've seen board members go round and round with a homeowner when their house color wasn't approved through the proper channels. "It's still Sandy Dunes, Bob. The color is on our Allowed Color Wheel."

"I realize it's Sandy Dunes, Jen, but they didn't get the paperwork filled out properly. They need to get the paperwork done right and then RE-paint the house at their own expense, of course. It's their error."

I imagine that Ella's HOA board is full of power hungry assholes who think their shitty homes will be ruined by a sick girl's playhouse.

I get that there are rules and covenants for a reason, but sometimes exceptions need to be made. This isn't a UN Peace Accord where the slightest change might send us into a nuclear war with Iran. We're talking about relaxing the covenant on an outbuilding in your back yard. I'm guessing that if this board asked the neighborhood what they wanted to do, Ella's neighbors wouldn't deny her.

Think about it, if my neighbor came over tonight and knocked on my door and said, "Jen, I just wanted to let you know we're going to paint our house in rainbow stripes this weekend because it's Susie's Make-a-Wish wish." I would say, "Can I come over and help you paint?" We all would! This is a six year old girl who is fighting for her life and this is her one wish. As a parent of a child, how could any of us say "No" to a sick child's wish?

Remember when the whole city of San Francisco came out for Batkid? Not my city. I'm surrounded by heartless pricks who can't even let a little girl get a playhouse.

What the fuck is wrong with Raymore, Missouri? That city should step up and build this little girl a play house and an entire park in the center of town and her HOA board members and their families should be banned from ever using it.

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UPDATE:  The HOA has changed their mind.  They are going to allow it. 

3 comments:

Unknown said...

OMG, I'll come build it in the middle of the night. I say we build one in every single back yard, including the HOA members, so no one can complain. PLAYHOUSES FOR EVERYONE. Asshats.

Unknown said...

I'd take this over batkid any day. Batkid cost the city of SF hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime and cleaning services.

Unknown said...

I really hope that it was your post that helped change these asshole's minds.
It requires you to be a special kind of horrible to say no to a request like that.
Are you sure they're not Nazis?

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