Max Santerelli built a treehouse in his Lake in the Hills backyard, unbeknownst to his parents and while his father was away on a business trip.

The 13-year-old constructed the simple structure in a pine tree in the backyard, a wooden platform nestled in between the trees, with no walls or roof.

Max said he was bored one day and was on the phone with a friend. He was reading a book, “The Dangerous Book for Boys.” The idea for the treehouse came from the book, and Max said he drew up plans for the structure at school after finishing state testing. Max is creative and has built a shelf for his desk in the past, and his mother said Max likes to build forts.

But his parents, Anthony and Meredith Santerelli, didn’t know about the treehouse. And while they said they encourage Max to get off his devices and go outside, they didn’t necessarily like the treehouse.

Meredith Santerelli said Max and his friends would hang out there, but “we were worried” about them getting hurt.

Safety aside, there was another snag: The treehouse came to the attention of Lake in the Hills village officials, prompting a discussion at a recent Village Board meeting over whether the structure was even allowed.

The Santerellis said they were seeking clarity at the meeting, but they left more confused.

That’s because, while there is nothing in local ordinances formally banning treehouses, village officials said they don’t permit such structures.

Anthony Santerelli said, and village documents indicate, that a neighbor reported the treehouse to the village. According to an email from a village official shared with Shaw Local, treehouses generally fall outside the village code, but if the regulations for a shed, for example, were applied, the treehouse would have to meet certain parameters.

According to the emails, the neighbor said the treehouse was not in compliance with setback requirements, the construction left debris and tree limbs on the property and raised safety issues.

But local officials said they think this particular case is less about treehouse codes and more about a dispute between neighbors.

Reached by Shaw Local, the neighbor declined to comment.

John Svalenka, Lake in the Hills’ community development director, said there is a list of permitted accessory structures in the village’s zoning code, and that if something isn’t on the list, it is prohibited.

Svalenka said officials’ interpretation of the code is that treehouses are not allowed and it could be difficult to comply with building codes with something supported by a tree.

Village Attorney Michael Smoron said the Village Board in the past may have chosen to avoid liability to taxpayers and decided not to regulate, inspect or endorse treehouses by issuing permits. Smoron said that while the treehouse is outside the scope of accessory structures, he asked if the Santerellis had been cited for it.

Anthony Santerelli said he got a letter that treehouses are not permitted, but he said he did not get a citation.

Smoron said the village is choosing not to be the regulator and stay outside of the dispute, also choosing not to issue a citation.

But whether treehouses are permitted in Lake in the Hills is now moot for the Santerellis, because Max took down the structure Tuesday. He said he was kind of sad, but he knew the treehouse was going to come down. It took an estimated five hours to build the structure, but took about 40 minutes to dismantle it.

“It’s gone,” Max said after taking it down, adding that the space looked empty afterwards. He said he wasn’t planning to build another treehouse later.