NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — Effie and Kosta Stavrou of North Royalton built a treehouse in their backyard in 2020 as a way to help ease their son's sorrow over the loss of his grandparents, but unfortunately, the structure has created mostly controversy.
Effie Stavrou told News 5 she and her husband contacted the North Royalton Building Department by phone before starting construction of the treehouse and a front deck, but was later hit with violations, fines, and even possible jail time.
“We asked them, do I need a permit for the deck in the front, yes okay fine. Do I need a permit for the treehouse, the same phone call for the treehouse, no you don’t need a permit for a treehouse," Stavrou said. “It was very devastating to hear that my husband who was just trying to do something for his son all of a sudden becomes a criminal because he wanted to do this treehouse.”
The Stavrou's said they were issued a "stop construction" order when the treehouse was 80% complete after a neighbor complained to the city about having to see the treehouse from his yard.
Kosta Stavrou admits he still continued construction adding railings to the steps leading up to the treehouse because of concerns over safety for his son and his son's friends. But he said that's when the City of North Royalton took further action.
"I get served by the police department with a third and fourth-degree misdemeanor," Stavrou said. “It’s crazy I might go to jail for a treehouse, nobody can believe it, everybody thinks it’s a joke."
The Stavrou's and the City of North Royalton ended up in Parma Municipal Court over this issue, and in April a jury ruled in favor of the city, finding the Stavrou's in violation of city ordinance limiting suburban parcels to one accessory building since the couple already had a shed on their property.
Effie Stavrou told News 5 the city initially agreed to give them two-and-a-half years to take down the treehouse but later changed the deadline to just 60 days. Kosta Stavrou said he was told if the treehouse isn't taken down by July 7, he could be issued a prison sentence.
“Up to 90 days I believe, if I don’t take it down, for a treehouse," Stavrou said. “I think there’s other stuff, more major stuff to worry about than just a treehouse, all the shootings that’s going on everywhere.”
Effie Stavrou believes she and her family are the victims of selective enforcement since she claims there are other treehouses in North Royalton, in similar settings, that have not been hit with violations.
“This all started from one neighbor complaining, he gathered all of his friends," Stavrou said. “You know we’re not criminals and you know that’s what we feel like, they make us feel like that.”
News 5 contacted North Royalton Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz for this story, but the mayor told us he could not comment as the case works its way to a legal resolution. News 5 also reached out to the North Royalton Law Director who agreed to look at the case file generated by the city building department and said he'll give us the results of his evaluation by the end of the week.
Effie Stavrou is telling everyone who is thinking about a summer outdoor construction project to check with their city or township building department first, and not to rely on just a phone call, make sure to get permits and approvals in writing.
She is hoping the city will tell her if there is anything that can be done to bring the treehouse into compliance, or if the city will honor its original agreement to give them two-and-a-half years to take it down.
“Can we knock down the shed, can we bring this down, knock off the steps if you don’t want the steps, something," Stavrou said. “As a parent, you try to do anything you can to make your child happy, and I believe everyone out there would try to do the same thing that we did.”
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