Grandma Living In Miami Tree House Told To Come Down

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A purple-haired grandmother living in a tree house for about 25 years has been told she has to come down for good.

According to our news partners at the Miami Herald, Miami-Dade County says it is unsafe for Shawnee Chasser to live inside the tree house nestled in the wooded front yard of her late son's Biscayne Gardens home.

On top of that, the county says the house was built illegally and needs to be demolished within the next three to four months.

It's something the 65-year old grandmother - who sells bags of organic popcorn at Whole Foods Market - says will never happen.

The home belongs to a land trust run by her daughter and Chasser makes the property available to people who want to rent rooms, a mini-camper or even set up tents in the front yard.

About a year ago, someone called 311 complaining that Chasser was running the place like an apartment complex and campground. That's when she was issued a citation for illegally running a rooming house and for work conducted at the property without permits.

So far, Chasser has already paid $3,000 in fines and may face more than $7,000 in additional liens.

But she's not giving up. The county's unsafe structures board allows for appeals and requests for more hearing. It's something she says she's talking to her attorney - Sheleen Khan- about.