Snitch Family Robinson

By Matt Wood in News on Jul 28, 2006 4:30PM

Perhaps taking a cue from the Chicago city council's recent lust for meddling in everyone's personal affairs, someone in south suburban Frankfort isn't happy about a neighbor's treehouse. Bob and Tracy Matheu built a ginormous tree fort for their three kids and their friends, a real life Swiss Family Robinson affair complete with swings, ladders, storage space, and a watch tower. But one of their neighbors ratted them out to the town's planning commission because they didn't apply for a building permit.

How cold-hearted can you get? Just watch the video at CBS 2 and look at how awesome that thing is. That may be the coolest thing a parent has ever done for their kids. We think the Matheus could only top that if they hired Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom to lay siege to it every afternoon just for fun. Plus, listen to how gracious they are about the whole thing. Bob says of his crankypants neighbor, "I wish them all the best," and his wife says, "If the tree fort does have to come down, so be it. We still have a really close, fantastic family and a fantastic neighborhood." Except of course, for the Grinch living next door.

Chicagoist is thinking that getting a building permit might ensure that the fort was built soundly for the safety of the kiddies, and maybe, just maybe, the complaint arose from this concern somewhere deep inside the neighbor's cold, black heart. We remember some of the contraptions we tried to tack onto trees in the backyard when we were kids, and they sure weren't going to keep us from breaking our necks for very long. But the news report doesn't mention that the neighbor expressed any safety worries, only a giant bug up their ass.

The Matheus have gathered 90 signatures on a petition and seem optimistic about getting a permit retroactively. If they do, we're hoping they find out who complained, then equip the fort with a water balloon slingshot and a couple potato guns.

Image from CBS 2 Chicago