Ugh! The more I listen to the news here in Florida, the more I wonder why I turned it on in the first place. We certainly do have some crazy stuff going on around here, ranging from children being dumped in trash cans only to be found states away, to children being kicked out of their homes because of their age.

It’s a crazy world that we live in people! Just take a good, hard look at Florida if you ever need a reminder.

Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at the case of 6-year-old Kimberly Broffman.

Broffman, a freckle-faced redhead, lives with her grandparents in a Florida retirement community. According to Associated Content, Broffman has been there since her mother was deemed unable to take care of her. She was six months old.

Broffman and her two siblings were split between family members. Broffman ended up in the arms of her grandparents, Judie and Jimmy Stottler, in a “55 and older” community. (The community specifically says that there are absolutely no people younger than 18-years-old can be residents in this deed-restricted community.)

More than three years ago the community filed a lawsuit against the Stottlers claiming that they were in direct violation of the community’s rules and regulations because little Broffman was there.

Since this time, the Stottlers have been trying to sell their home in the community in order to relocate. There is a chance that Broffman may be taken away from her grandparents and put into foster care until her grandparents can find an appropriate place to live… where she’s allowed.

The Stottler’s home has been on the market for a while now and has decreased in price by over 100,000. It remains on the market to this day.

So the question is “Who is Right Here?”

On one hand, the homeowner’s association of the community isn’t wrong or unethical in expecting everyone who lives there to abide by the community’s rules. The people who live in this neighborhood have a reasonable expectation to not have a child running around. I mean, they moved there to be part of a “55 and older” community.

I would say that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with expecting people to do what they say they will do. There absolutely are exceptions though. With all the facts considered, it’s not ethical or “right” to tear a 6-year-old child away from the only family that she knows because of some stupid deed-restricted community rules.

I’ve heard of some pretty wild deed-restricted community rules. I’ve heard of neighbors taking pictures of violations and then reporting them to the homeowner’s association… and by violations I mean either their grass is too tall or they have friends over and one tire is on the grass.

“There are rules,” they say. “And you agreed to them when you moved in here.”

I’m fairly certain that Mr. and Mrs. Stottler didn’t want their daughter to be unable to take care of her own child in such a way that they would become responsible for raising her.

As a Floridian, I’m embarrassed by these people’s actions. I don’t know what kind of cruel old person you have to be unable to see when a family is having trouble. It’s not always black and white and, as family structures change and the housing market continues to crumble, these nice people deserve to have some slack.

The Stottlers also deserve a pat on the back and encouraging thought or too. They’ve got a rough road ahead.

What do you think? Does this situation deserve special treatment?

Unfortunately you and I don’t get to decide, the case is going to a judge who will decide what the “Right” action is here.

Check out Today’s segment on Broffman here.