Cops shut down little girl’s lemonade stand

NBC WBBH-TV ^ | June 18, 2003 | Patrick Taney

[MattAMiller]

Gotta get ready for the sale,” said Abagail.

Even though she’s only 6 years old, Abagail prepares for another day at work.

"We like making money at our lemonade stand. We want it to stay cold so they can have cold lemonade on hot days,” she said.

A young entrepreneur who does the cleaning even the advertising. And it is paying off.

"We are making lots of tips in our tip jar,” said Abagail.

But a few days ago, Abagail and her friends were put out of business by a neighbor.

"We didn't have a permit so she called the cops,” said Abagail.

The police arrived and shut her down.

"We had to take down our lemonade stand,” said Abagail.

Abagail did not have a temporary business permit, which is technically a city violation.

"So we had to do something else to play,” said Abagail.

"I was kind of shocked because I didn't know we needed a permit for 6 year old girls to sell lemonade,” said K.C. Shaw, Abagail’s mom.

According to the city, they have to act on a formal complaint.

"Normally we don't get involved in it but once we do get a formal request we must take action,” said Al Hogrefe of the city of Naples.

So Abagail’s mom went to the city code enforcement office with wallet in hand, prepared to buy a permit.

"$35 every single time for a single use,” said Shaw.

Not wanting to be sour, the city played Mr. Niceguy.

"No we did not charge her, no,” said Hogrefe.

They did finally get the permit.

"Basically a blank check to have as many lemonade stands as we can stand,” said Shaw.

So Abagail is back in business and learned laws can be tough, even for a six year old's lemonade stand.

Shaw said the police officers who shut down the stand felt terrible, but they had to do their job. One of the officers even bought a glass of lemonade from Abagail.

[Beck_isright]

It's the kid's fault. They should have contacted the Ministry of Lemonade after consulting the Ministry of Justice to view the regulations set out by the Ministry of Health and of course the Ministry of Truth. Sheesh, what year does this kid think we are in, 1984 or something? This is the 21st Century.

[SUSSA]

Well, it was funny at the time.

[jellybean]

All the other neighbors on the block should go down to city hall and buy a permit. Then set up their own lemonade stands. That should really pi$$ off who ever called this in. Any proceeds could be donated to Abagail.

[Sonny M]

The neighbor was probably your garden variety anti-business liberal.

More likely then not, the neighbor probably had a grudge with the girls mother, and this was a way to get back at the mother.

Why, who knows, maybe she parked in her driveway, maybe she didn't give her milk one day, but sometimes neigbhors do petty things on spite to each other.

[Hank Rearden]

That neighbor needs her ass kicked, hard.

Then she needs humiliation and punishment for being a shriveled old bag.

[rwfromkansas]

I am betting it is a grumpty old lady also.

I was shooting fireworks a couple years ago and this old lady that lived close by told me to stop, that it was a fire hazard blah blah blah. I told her to shove it and I was within the legal right to do what I was doing and could see where the fireworks were going and her house was in no danger.

She called the cops and they showed up. We chatted a bit and I resumed shooting fireworks. I made sure to get the really loud ones for the nasty neighbor to hear.

[Hank Rearden]

Hang in there Abagail Sweetheart, the times they are A Change'n.

No, they're not. Look at the massive new "free pill" spending program that Bush is rooting for and will enthusiastically sign. Biggest in decades; hundreds of billions will be stolen and squandered, and will damage the health-care system in this country. Way to go, Republicrats.

Or his assault on the First Amendment in elections. His Welfare Farmer subsidies. His steel tariffs. And on, and on and . . . . . .

[rwfromkansas]

The neighbor should offer a peace offering, some lemonade spiked with ex-lax.

[bobbyd]

This smacks of senior citizenry...god forbid I live past 50...60 tops.

Hope I die before I get old...

When you hit 30...you'll feel different.....40 you'll know better.

Just don't get old.

[rwfromkansas]

Everyone deserves some blame, including the cops.

They could have given her a "warning" or something or even let it slide and it would have been ethical.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...Shaw said the police officers who shut down the stand felt terrible, but they had to do their job...

Ah, yes. The 'Nuremberg Excuse.'

[rwfromkansas]

wow what a great idea.

Too bad I don't live there; I would do it.....:)

[ccmay]

How bitter and pathetic do you have to be to phone in this complaint?

We have a similar old bitch living across from us. Her days are spent peeking out of her curtains to make sure everyone brings their garbage cans in, or she calls the homeowner's association. She screams at kids who play on the street or sidewalk near her house. My children are terrified of her.

-ccm

[honeygrl]

"Sicking the IRS on little girls and their lemonade stands? This is my government at work? "

I thought you were exempt if you made less than like 1500/yr or something like that and were claimed as dependants still by your parents.....

[rwfromkansas]

An old lady (the fireworks lady I talked about) put up an electric fence around her home to keep meddling kids from crossing her yard etc. What a shrew. She is the only bad neighbor in the entire block...

[Steve_Stifler]

Actually, I think a bunch of "hippie" brownies might do more good, if you get my drift.

[honeygrl]

"An old lady (the fireworks lady I talked about) put up an electric fence around her home to keep meddling kids from crossing her yard etc. What a shrew. She is the only bad neighbor in the entire block... "

It seems like if some child gets hurt on her electric fence she could very easily get sued. I know my parents have a privacy fence inside of another gated fence to make sure no child wanders into their pool and gets hurt because even with a fence, if a kid got hurt in it they would still be liable somehow. (you know the ambulance chasing lawyers would get some money out of her for it atleast) Even older kids aren't always smart enough to steer clear of an electric fence.

[steelie]

I growed" up in Berkeley , California in the 60's, and sold fruit and wreaths in front of my familiy,s store.
The police came by one day and said I needed a permit to do so
Well, the very next day I dragged my 10 year old brother down to city hall, and started the process of getting a D@#$mm permit.

After 4-5 hours of total occupation of their time, they just said "we'll call you"

We made good money for the next several years.

[Rebelbase]

If this were my hood I'd make it a point to find out the snitch was and publicly shame them.

[Rebelbase]

Around 1963, on his way home from school each day, a neighbor kid would drag a stick along our backyard fence to torment our German Sheppard. One day the dog stopped barking and kid stuck his face in a knot- hole to see where the dog was. The dog was right under his nose and jumped up and bit it off. There was enough left to re-attach it, and the kid's family never let him forget it growing up as they reminded him of the dog every time he stuck his nose into someone else's business.

Had that happened today there is a good change the dog would have been put down and my parents sued out the wazoo for damages.