Vancouver Architect To Auction Controversial Tree House
Jayne Seagrave and Andrew Dewberry display the letter they received from the city. The tree fort they built for their boys rises above them at back.
Photograph by : Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun
Vancouver Architect Andrew Dewberry lost a two-year court battle to save a tree house he built for his two sons from being removed after a British Columbia court upheld a Vancouver city order to have the tree house torn down. He was given 90 days by the judge to remove the pirate-themed tree house.
Instead of dismantling the tree house, Dewberry said that he will auction the tree house to the highest bidder. He said that several people have expressed interested in buying the tree house, and he plans to give the proceeds of the auction to a children’s charity.
Dewberry constructed the tree house in a cedar tree in his home’s front yard in Kerrisdale for his sons Jack and Sam. He spent $2,500 in building the tree house.
A neighbor complained with city authorities as it blocked the view. It was only then that Dewberry realized that he has to have a permit in constructing a tree house of that size. He applied after the fact, only to be turned by city authorities.
Last year, the city’s board of variance ordered that the tree house demolished and gave Dewberry 30 days to do so. Dewberry said that was he “blindsided” by the order, so he filed a case against the city.
