
A Florida grandmother who has lived in a tree house for 25 years, has been told that she must tear it down or face nearly $7,000 in fines.

Shawnee Chasser, 65, has spent the last year fighting Miami-Dade County over her home called Shawnee's Paradise, that sits between an oak and strangler fig tree in her late son Joshua's yard, according to the Miami Herald.

The county has said the tree house was built illegally, is unsafe and must be demolished in the next four months or she could face $7,000 in fines. Chasser said she has already paid $3,000 in fines.

But the grandmother, who mass-produces and sells Shawnee's Greenthumb Popcorn which is stocked in Whole Foods, vowed that she will not take anything down and will continue to live there with her pet raccoon Coonie.

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Shawnee Chasser (pictured) has spent the last year fighting Miami-Dade County over her home that sits between an oak and strangler fig tree in her late son's yard

Authorities said the cottage that is built around a man-made pond and water fountain must be demolished in the next four months or the 65-year-old grandmother could face thousands in fines

But Chasser vowed that she will not take anything down. Last September she was issued a citation by county code enforcement for illegally running a rooming house and for work conducted at the property without permits, including the pond, fountain and the tree house

Someone complained that Chasser was running the property like an apartment complex and campground which prompted authorities to investigate

'I'll chain myself to that tree house,' Chasser told the Herald.

Chasser sleeps in a double bed and her home is decorated with family pictures, books and a small couch.

'When I am up in my tree house in thunder, lightning and rain, I am in heaven,' Chasser told the Herald.

Problems started a year ago when someone complained that Chasser was running the property like an apartment complex and campground in the middle of a single-family neighborhood.

Last September she was issued a citation by county code enforcement for illegally running a rooming house and for work conducted at the property without permits, including the pond, fountain and the tree house.

Chasser is seen above swinging on a swing in the garden around her tree house. The county said the tree house was built illegally and it's unsafe for her to live in

Chasser said: 'I'll chain myself to that tree house'. Ricardo Roig, Miami-Dade's code enforcement division director, told the Herald that Chasser's case was the first time he's ever dealt with 'somebody living in a tree house'

Chasser sleeps in a double bed (pictured) and her home is decorated with family pictures, books and a small couch

The first floor of the cottage has dozens of photos hanging on the wall as well as a small couch that her dogs often sleep on

Chasser's home may be tiny but it's cleverly decorated with lamps, small trinkets and wallpaper

Ricardo Roig, Miami-Dade's code enforcement division director, told the Herald that Chasser's case was the first time he's ever dealt with 'somebody living in a tree house'.

Roig said the county's issue with Chasser's cottage is that it's unsafe and South Florida has strict rules about building codes because of the frequency of hurricanes.

He also said that running water and electricity have to be installed with permits and inspections.

The home also includes a kitchenette with a mini oven and sink, along with a tiny living room equipped with a ceiling fan

Miami-Dade's code enforcement division director said the county's issue with Chasser's cottage is that it's unsafe and South Florida has strict rules about building codes because of the frequency of hurricanes. Pictured is the inside of Chasser's cottage (left and right)

The county said Chasser (pictured with her daughter) can live in a legal tree house, but code and unsafe-structure inspectors looked at the cottage and found it wasn't up to to county standards

Chasser has lived in the tree since 1992 after she moved her family back to Miami from California

Chasser told the Herald that she's unable to afford to hire the necessary people to bring her home up to code

Authorities have said that that running water and electricity have to be installed with permits and inspections. Chasser is pictured above on a hammock

Roig added that Chasser can live in a legal tree house, but code and unsafe-structure inspectors looked at the cottage and found it wasn't up to to county standards.

Riog said: 'It's just a combination of situations that haven't been well thought out.'

Chasser told the Herald that she's unable to afford to hire the necessary people to bring her home up to code.

Even if she could, she said, the county told her she would still have to apply to the zoning department for permission to stay in the home outside the main home on the property.

She said she isn't going to give up and she's in the process of talking with her attorney about all of her options.

Chasser is seen cooking her brand of popcorn in the tree house. The popcorn is sold in Whole Foods stores around Florida

Chasser mass-produces and sells Shawnee's Greenthumb Popcorn in Whole Foods stores around Florida

Chasser has lived in the tree since 1992 after she moved her family back to Miami from California.

The home is built with curved wooden steps that lead to a second story.

It includes a kitchenette with a mini oven and sink, along with a tiny living room equipped with a ceiling fan.

In the kitchen she has perfected her brand of organic popcorn, cooking it for her visiting grandchildren.

She originally started making popcorn 40 years ago but went into business over 25 years ago when her son Joshua died to give her a new focus, according to Miami.com.

It is called Shawnee's Greenthumb Popcorn and according to its website it is full of 'organic ingredients, guaranteed to be free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s.)

'Our commitment is to make a difference in the world, supporting family farmers and helping to improve the quality of “Mother Earth’s” soil, one pop at a time.'

She adds that the brand aims to promote healthier eating and challenge the epidemics of obesity, diabetes and malnutrition plaguing our society.

'Processed foods are void of nutrition and high in fat and calories. Our popcorn is full of nutrients and minerals, and it leaves you wanting more just because it tastes so good and your body is feeling happy!,' the website adds.

The popcorn is sold in Whole Foods stores around Florida.

Chasser told the Herald that she's unable to afford to hire the necessary people to bring her home up to code

A raccoon, who she's named 'Coonie', also visits her occasionally at her special haven

Chasser sleeps in a double bed and her home is decorated with family pictures, books and a small couch. She is seen relaxing in the garden

Chasser, who mass-produces and sells Shawnee's Greenthumb Popcorn, said she's unable to afford to hire the necessary people to bring her home up to code, but she's not giving up without a fight

Her brother's tree house, which was also featured by the Tiny House Giant Journey travel blog, is included in marketing material from the county's tourism bureau and is treated like a landmark

And living in tree houses seems to run in the family.