I think that was after my time. Look cool though. Do they make them for 40 year olds.
Posted on 04/03/2007 6:15:39 AM PDT by ShadowDancer
Community Sues To Oust 3-Year-Old
Child With Drug-Addict Mom Lives With Grandparents
POSTED: 3:04 pm EDT April 1, 2007
LARGO, Fla. -- A Florida homeowners group wants 3-year-old Kimberly Broffman to take her Big Wheel and hit the road.
They've banded together to oust the toddler from their Tampa-area community, which bans residents under 18.
The child's grandparents, Judie and Jimmy Stottler, admit Kimberly's been living there in violation of homeowners' association rules for three years. They said her mother has a drug problem, and isn't capable of caring for the child.
The grandparents said they live on a fixed income and can't afford to move until they sell their house. So far, there have been no takers to buy their house, even after they lowered the $189,000 asking price by $10,000 six months ago.
They also said they can't afford to hire an attorney.
Judie Stottler supports the family with her $18,000-per year dishwashing job because Jimmy Stottler is disabled and is unable to work.
Judie Stottler's friends told the St. Petersburg Times that they are worried.
"It is so ridiculous that this has gone so far," said Keith Tinsley, a cook who works with her. "She's trying her best to sell her house. It's like they are trying to force her to put Kimberly in foster care.
"These people keep batting her down and batting her down. They're just mean."
Judie Stottler said she is scared that she wil lose her house before she is able to sell it.
"We don't have any family to take us in," Judie Stottler said.
The Lakes homeowners association filed suit to oust Kimberly last month.
And since they are in the *wrong*, the Stottlers decided to run to the press hoping to sway public opinion with a naked appeal to emotion.
Sorry folks.
If its the big wheels with the storage trunk and hand brake I would want the kid out of my neighborhood also. Thats the one my brother got. I was really pissed my big wheels didnt come with that stuff.
After admitting to violating the Homeowner’s Association rules for three years, now they have the gall to call the HA “mean”.
I’m siding with the Homeowners on this one. It’s clear what the Community’s rules are, it’s obviously for adults only for a reason, and there is nothing “mean” about requiring residents to abide by the rules; especially if they agreed to the rules when they bought their house in the first place.
All their neighbors moved there in part, because of the age restriction. It's unfair to take that advantage away from them.
I was a fan of the Green Machine myself, with it’s revolutionary two stick steering system.
Could be that prospective buyers go sour because of the neighborhood?
People in these associations have NO discernemnt!!! The child NEEDS to be with the grandparents...what do they want to put her in a foster home? Yes...that IS what they want.
Possibly.
In my opinion, anyone who would want to live in a neighborhood that has a Homeowners' Ass'n is an imbecile.
Hear, hear!
It sounds like the neighborhood had been surprisingly understanding for waiting three years before taking action. The Florida real estate market is tough right now, so it is really just an unfortunate situation.
It is really sad our older folks are removing themselves from everyone’s life. You would think older folks would enjoy youth around.
The will sow what they reap for the young will not care about them when they want free medical care and to be taken care of when they are older and will get what they deserve.
Who have 1) raised one generation of druggies, and 2) do not honor their contractual commitments.
The law in Florida does not permit strict age discrimination in housing. Senior communities must allow under 50 residents up to 20% of the population. There is no protection for white trash, however.
Their good deed does not nullify the hypocrisy, and the HOA has a contractual obligation to honor its agreements with the other residents. Don't like it? Pass legislation that "adult-only" communities are illegal.
The real estate market was hotter than a supernova for the first half of that period. I strongly suspect some problem with the community, probably traceable directly to the HOA....
Ahhhh, I guess you want the child put in a foster home also? geesh.....heartless.
Oh, come on, they’re trying to sell their house at a loss. Give them some time, sheesh!
They are a neccessary evil in some cases, and I can see it in this case. Unfortunately, too often the people who take charge are little Nazis at heart. But waiting three years before taking action seems more than reasonable here.
You know how it is. The rules are the rules, unless someone wants to break them.
I personally think that people should band together and have communities where no one older than, say, 65, would be allowed to live. I am not amused by cranky old farts.
I hate HOA’s and will never join one. These people did so willingly, and now must abide by the rules. Sorry, folks, I have to side with the HOA on this one.
I've aways refused these "restrictive covenant" places. I want no restrictions on my property. It's payed off too. I've made zillions in real estate.
There are places in Florida where the neighbors can tell you what color you can paint the inside of your house. "Well if it's an ugly color, it could affect the price of MY house."
I had a business partner who moved to town, and he and his wife led the charge against a gay guy in the neighborhood who wanted to paint his house purple. Actually, I thought it looked kinda good.
And another man told me that someone was building a house in his neighborhood, and there are "restrictive covenants" governing how long you can take to build it, and "I'm gonna go over there and tell him he's gotta get it finished!" (This man's a Democrat.) I couldn't understand why he wouldn't want the man to take his time and get it right--not to mention not want to harrass someone who might be having some kind of difficulty.
As a Mexican immigrant said to me: "If other people can tell me what I can and can't do with my own property, then I don't own it." I'd gladly swap every gringo Leftist in the U.S.A. for a Mexican--no screening necessary.
HOA.... socialism at work. Anyone who willingly signs away their rights to live in a particular community is a fool IMHO.
Circumstances change - good for the Gparents. They may get screwed in the end but they’re doing the right thing. It’s a hard life.
Oh come on, that’s just what the pro-invasion crowd argues when the Mexican parents are being deported.
So you want all Mexicans that have citizen children to stay in the US.
I think that was after my time. Look cool though. Do they make them for 40 year olds.
“Who have 1) raised one generation of druggies....” Pretty smug, aren’t we? You have no idea what factored into that situation. I know some very wonderful parents who have had some rotten kids. I’ve seen families where some kids turn out to be model citizens, and other kids in the same family turn out awful. I’m not saying they should be allowed to stay in the association, but they should be applauded for doing right by their grandchild.
I dunno, I know more drunks and potheads over 50 than I do under 50.... And most not suprisingly are contractors too.
Green machine was Awesome, I was the king of Rose Circle on mine... I’d eat big wheels for breakfasts, and tricycles as an afternoon snack.
You said: If its the big wheels with the storage trunk and hand brake I would want the kid out of my neighborhood also. Thats the one my brother got. I was really pissed my big wheels didnt come with that stuff.
***
You had a Big Wheel? My dad gave me a garbage can lid and told me it was a big wheel. Very hard to ride.
Not only was I president of a homeowner's association for two terms, but under my fascist dictatorship, the homes in the subdivision were and are still selling for $100,000 or more than in comparable neighboring association-less communities.
You know those communities......the ones with weed-filled gravel front yards, dead petunia-filled rubber tires in the middle of the lawn and day-glo lime-green house paint).
I recently sold my house for an astonishingly pretty-penny-profit.
Some imbecile!
Leni
I did once. And only once. Keep your McHouses with your little home-grown tinpot dictators. Never again.
The original didn’t look quite as cool as the newer models.
http://www.feelingretro.com/view_toy.cfm?id=88
My little sister got one of these when we were little. I had the older, original Big Wheel.
It is an unfortunate situation. No one is saying the kid would be better off in foster care, but this is a retirement neighborhood, and people came to it for peace and quiet. The grandparents knew what the rules were. They should of been more serious about moving before now.
Bravo. I hadn’t thought of the Green Machine in years. Not that I ever had one. We had to play with broken glass when I was a kid. One summer we had a stick. That was great, until the homeowner’s association took it away from us.
Nah.. the hand break is like the extra safety mechanism on the Colt Series 80 1911's. You don't really want it, it degrades performance. You want the lean and mean original.
They don't NEED any, they have written contracts. Which, I might add, the grandparents in the story apparently agreed to.
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The child NEEDS to be with the grandparents
Then the grandparents NEED to move or make other arrangements for her care.
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what do they want to put her in a foster home?
No, I imagine they want to live in the community under the rules everybody in the community agreed to.
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Yes...that IS what they want.
Since you're apparently psychic, would you mind giving me tomorrow's winning lottery numbers?
You said: It is really sad our older folks are removing themselves from everyone’s life. You would think older folks would enjoy youth around.
The will sow what they reap for the young will not care about them when they want free medical care and to be taken care of when they are older and will get what they deserve.
***
Sadly, this country has grown to ignore its seniors. (I am not yet one, but the time is getting closer.) We don’t venerate them the way many other cultures do. Instead, we warehouse them in nursing homes, etc. The sense of family that was largely in place just a few generations ago has deteriorated. I wonder how much support the members of this community get from their children and grandchildren?
While I don’t think I would choose to live in such a community, these folks bought property wanting to avoid the presence of children yelling and screaming and riding their Big Wheels all over. FR usually celebrates property rights of all kinds, as well as freedom in general. The mother in this case knew or should have know what she was buying. The HOA has waited around 3 years to act, which sounds pretty reasonable. Meanwhile, it looks like every relative this woman has is living with her, and not helping out.
My first thought was to be humane and cut them some slack... the house is for sale. But, then again, this has been going on for 3 years. Perhaps the house is way over-priced i.e. its not really for sale. Anyway, hard to tell what's going on.
In my opinion, anyone who would want to live in a neighborhood that has a Homeowners’ Ass’n is an imbecile.
The problem is the local authorities that allow these things to go in in the first place.
And since they are in the *wrong*, the Stottlers decided to run to the press hoping to sway public opinion with a naked appeal to emotion.
I’ll fix this for you
And since they are in dire straits, the Stottlers decided to appeal to the public for help with an impossoble situation and potentially raise awareness of their property for sale.
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