Thursday, October 22, 2009

55-and-over community wants to evict family with 6-year-old - St. Petersburg Times

55-and-over community wants to evict family with 6-year-old - St. Petersburg Times: "With her mother gone, her father a mystery and no other relatives to speak of, Kimberly's living arrangement seemed simple. Except for this: She was breaking the law. And now her case has drawn national attention.

The Stottlers' home, under the management of the Lakes Homeowners Association, was designated 55-and-over. Children could live there for no more than 60 days a year.

The association, which said its bylaws worked to preserve the age-restricted community, wanted Kimberly gone. But the Stottlers' attempts to sell their house stalled. Kimberly had no place else to go."

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Thanks to Beth for this updated story, which is full of heartbreaking detail. There is a line in the Cormac McCarthy novel No Country for Old Men that goes something like this: "If the rule that you follow has led you to this, of what use is the rule?"

And that about sums up my feeling on these 55 and over age restrictions. I have always believed that seniors' communities should not have been granted exemption from age discrimination laws. But legislators responded to their voting power and industry lobbying. The irony is that seniors are constantly filing complaints about discrimination against them. You can find people 80 years old bagging groceries. But seniors in these retirement communities are the first to use the law to go after kids, no matter what their circumstances or how badly it will hurt people.

Well, enjoy your freedom from the laughter of children, you bunch of creeps.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is also interesting that some in this neighborhood think that the dogs barking (who ARE allowed to live there) in fact, create a greater nuisance than the child.

It will be interesting to see what the court does with the waiver argument, and whether the court itself follows the law, if applicable to this situation.

Further updates would be appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Leland Wheeler the HOA president can afford to contribute $800.00 to the Democratic Party but he won’t even give a fart about helping this little girl!

I can only imagine how much money the HOA has spent in lawyer’s fees fighting this little girl’s plight!

The HOA should simply buy the darn house… that would end the senile madness once and for all!

All those senior folks with all that wisdom and sage experience and the best they can do is watch that little girl rot rather than blossom!

Maybe that little girl will grow up to be a caregiver (not that the HOA had any influence in that direction) and maybe 15 years from now she will be the one changing your diapers!

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