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.
Wow, an entire city of HOA’s? Good grief! Come hell or high water, I’d move to another state if I couldn’t find a place to live where I truly could be queen of my castle.
For you to say that really hurts because I am anything but heartless when it comes to dealing with the unfortunate, I’ve given lots of money to thoses causes and am always willing to cut a guy a braek and give him a second chance. But I won’t put up with stupidity for very long, trust me on this one.
I don't buy it. I could sell any house in an hour if you let me set the price. Their actions are not fair to their neighbors, it's not the neighbors' fault they raised a junkie.
You need to understand the legalities involved, if they don’t move to enforce it it becomes moot. Tell me how you want to deal with that, and quit with your lovey dovey perspective. This HMA didn’t have any choice but to act.
If I understand this situation correctly, the Homeowners Association wants these people to sell their home and move. The homeowners have put their home up for sale and have dropped the price on their home in order to sell it a.s.a.p. What more can they do?
I'm sure they could probably sell their house if they were willing to take a big loss on it. What sort of person would want that to happen to them. Don't they have enough trouble now? These people don't sound like they are wealthy and now they have to raise a child during what should have been their retirement years. And to say, "they raised a junkie", makes it sound as if you blame them for their daughter's drug problems. Do you have any idea how many good parents have had their grown children go "bad"?
Remember buying one of my sons a Big Wheels for Christmas one year.
Dec.26, after listening to that clicker for hours, I ‘emasculated’ it.
The neighbors thanked me.
And how many of these good parents have made this burden something their neighbors have to unwillingly bear? Their neighbors have purposely chosen to spend their retirement years in a community without young children and this couple has made another decision for them.
What's your definition of a "Good Parent"?
Florida Law provides that you can have a specific percentage of under 55 people in a age restricted community without breaking the violation.
This was specifically written to adress issues like this. This also was to take into consideration the elderly being taken care of by their adult children.
There are cases which have incorportated the fair housing rules also,
687 So.2d 296
22 Fla. L. Weekly D246
WESTWOOD COMMUNITY TWO ASSOCIATION, INC., etc., Appellant,
v.
John L. LEWIS and Peter C. Martin, Appellees.
No. 96-0342.
District Court of Appeal of Florida,
Fourth District.
Jan. 22, 1997.
Rehearing and Clarification Denied Feb. 27, 1997.
Which affirmed a lower court ruling tossing an age restriction as a violation of the fair housing rule because it sought to keep children out in order to discriminate for seniors.
Don’t get me wrong, rules are rules. And this is a free association club, not government. They could set up almost any rules they want.
I don’t know the situation but I wish the best for the poor 3 year old.
not correct. The FL HA rules allow for a limited amount of flexibility and now there are rules against slapp suits.
If these condo commandos are doing this to intimidate the old folks in the face of the established rights under statutory and case law, the association will have problems.
It is akin to FL passing a Flag display law and the association suing the home owner anyways.
This is getting ridiculous now. Where have I said that the government should protect these people from financial decisions? I would think we should all applaud these people for trying to pay for the care of this child on their own. If they had put the child in foster care the government would be paying for it.
And why would you accuse these people of making “idiotic financial decisions”? Are you privvy to their financial affairs? Sounds to me like they were doing o.k. until their daughter became an unfit mother and they stepped up to the plate to take care of their granddaughter. God bless them for being loving grandparents.
I believe I have stated my opinion on this subject quite clearly. These people did not know when they bought their retirement home that they would find themselves having to take on the burden of raising their grandchild. But it happened. I find it odd that you think “conservative” means being unreasonably cruel to others who are trying to do for themselves and their family.
What's your definition of a "Good Parent"?
They are not trying to burden their neighbors, they are trying to do what is right by their grandchild AND their neighbors by selling their home. As for your last question, I'm not going to even go there. I'm sure you would find fault with anything I would say on that topic so let's not waste my time nor yours. :)
I am thinking about the kid, too bad his mother doesn’t. There is no justifiable reason for this family to cry victim in this instance as far as I am concerned. Let them sell their house at a loss and quit whining that life’s unfair, hell everybody knows that already, what are these people special?
I don’t understand why you’re taking this commment personally. Are you a member of the HOA; maybe you know more than I do about this family?
Houston’s like that. It’s the price we pay for being an unzoned city.
I love my hometown and don’t want to move. All our family are within an hour of us.
I’ve seen some of your prior comments on this forum and thought you pretty cool, but you are messing up on this issue imo.
I can sure understand why you wouldn’t want to move away from your family. Guess you have to take the good with the bad then. I’m thankful that we don’t have issues like that where we live.
Good luck on your house hunting. Is it possible that some HOA’s aren’t as nit-picky as others? Years ago my sister lived in a home that was under the rules of a HOA. They couldn’t even leave their garage door open unless they were taking something in or out of it.
Is it not possible that it is you that is “messing up on this issue”? ;)
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