Couple Left Out On A Limb After Losing Tree House Fight

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BRADENTON (CBSMiami/AP) - A couple who live in a beachfront tree house on Anna Maria Island have been left out on a limb after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case that would save their "home, sweet home."

Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen built a two-story, 500 square foot, structure on their Holmes Beach property in 2011 after being told they didn't need a permit.

But after an anonymous complaint to the city about the structure, officials investigated and found the couple did need to go through the permitting process. It turns out the treehouse was located in an area where building is prohibited because of a city setback.

The couple said the spent $30,000 to build the house and over the last five years spent five times that much trying to keep it from being torn down.

They said when they applied for permits, they were denied. The couple tried to take the fight to voters but courts stopped them.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)