Atlanta is losing one of our most iconic Airbnb destinations. The Treasure Hunt Tree House, known for its unique three-floor treehouse structure, is being forcibly demolished by the city.
Why is the city demolishing the treehouse?
11Alive news reported, “In an email to 11Alive, Kennesaw code enforcement officials stated they found several violations, including improper permits. City officials further stated that the correct permits were not obtained before the treehouse was built, calling it an ‘unpermitted structure.'”
According to 11Alive, the city gave the owners, Ryan and Charmaine McGovern, 30 days to apply for demolition back in March. From there, they’d receive a letter approving the demolition, and would have another month to complete the demolition of the entire property. For each day after that that the demolition is not completed, the McGoverns could face a $1,000 fine.
The owners’ response to the city order
Treehouse owner, Ryan McGovern said to 11Alive News, “We put so much blood, sweat, and tears into this thing. We’ve put so much of our creative juices into creating this. It’s been a major source of income for us. It produced about 60 percent of my income for the past five years. I work two jobs, but they are relatively low-paying jobs, so it just doesn’t pay the bills.”
McGovern, who is a former Marine, continues, “It’s a snap of their fingers to just amend the law… I know that laws need to be enforced, but I also know that I had a certain amount of discretion not to enforce certain draconian laws.”
The listing for the beloved Treasure Hunt Tree House has been removed from Airbnb’s website. This is a loss for all the families who visited the iconic Atlanta treehouse from all over the country.