John Alpeza stands in front of the treehouse he built for his two sons Kristian, 10, top left, and Matheas, 8, in Toronto on Wednesday, April 20, 2016. A Toronto father who built his sons a $30,000 boat-shaped treehouse vowed Wednesday to defend what he considers a family haven from city officials who want it torn down.

Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim

TORONTO - A Toronto father who built his sons a $30,000 boat-shaped treehouse vowed Wednesday to defend what he considers a family haven from city officials who want it torn down.

John Alpeza spent years working on the naval-themed treehouse for his boys Kristian and Matheas, now 10 and 8.

It started as a simple platform in the tree, then grew more sophisticated as the family hired contractors to give it its signature shape and finishes, he said.

The structure now includes a roofed cabin roughly two metres by two metres as well as a hull, a ship's wheel and swing ropes, and abuts on the backyard fence.

Alpeza, a contractor, said he doesn't normally work on residential projects and didn't know he needed a permit to build a treehouse on his property.

A neighbour complained to the city two years ago, Alpeza said, "because it was too beautiful all of a sudden, it wasn't an ugly box anymore."

He was then asked to provide building plans and a permit request to the city last fall.

Then, last Friday, Alpeza said he received a voice-mail message ordering him to take down the treehouse this week or the city would seek a court order to do it.

No explanation was given for the decision, he said, adding he will "fight this in every way possible, even if it means spending many tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees."

The treehouse is part of a backyard "oasis" meant to pull the boys away from video games and other devices and encourage them to play with each other and their friends, Alpeza said.

It has also helped them grow closer as a family, he said.

The boys "love the treehouse because they know that this is dad's love for them," Alpeza said.

Losing the play space would be "so destructive, so painful," he said. "This would be like putting a stake through our family's heart."

A spokesman for the city's building department did not immediately respond to a request for comment but Toronto Mayor John Tory said on Twitter that he was aware of the situation.

"Looking into #treehouse issue. Impressive play space & built with great intentions but safety & neighbourhood impacts have to be considered," he wrote.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2016