Rub-a-dub-dub, Lakemoor couple decides to hide their tub (planter)

A Lakemoor couple cited by the village for using a bathtub as a flower planter has decided not to fight city hall.

Heather and Tim Root, who have had a cast iron tub of flowers on their lawn on the 400 block of Santa Barbera Road for seven years, built a wooden box around the fixture as a way to keep their planter and keep peace with the village.

Tim Root said he decided to "shelter" the tub because, even if he won a court battle and the current ticket was thrown out, the war wouldn't be over.

"The mayor said the board would write a new law if the current law doesn't hold up in court," Root said. "So, rather than being drawn into a fight we didn't want in the first place, we decided to shelter the bathtub."

Lakemoor Interim Police Chief Rick Iverson said that by placing the wooden box around the bathtub, the fixture was hidden from neighbors and, therefore, the warning citation was dropped. It was issued June 16, and the Roots had 30 days to comply or be fined and possibly taken to court.

"They took care of the problem so we dropped the warning against them," he said. "Mr. Root came into the office and we talked things out and he decided that, rather than fight it, to just cover the bathtub up."

Lakemoor resident Tina Asmus, however, continues to press on in her fight to keep her two toilets and pedestal sink in her front yard, Iverson said

Asmus made national headlines in May for refusing to remove the flower planters from the front yard of her home on the 100 block of South Holland Drive.

She has been fined $25 by police, but has hired an attorney who has filed a motion to dismiss the charge in court.

It's unclear when the two sides are next expected to be in court, Iverson said.

Police and village officials said Asmus and the Roots were violating a law stating items that are "no longer safely usable for the purpose for which it was manufactured" are prohibited.

Iverson said the village has issued about 100 ordinance violation warnings, and the majority have complied and cleaned up their yards.

Those violations cited by police range from grass that is too long to junk in front yards.

Each of Asmus' toilet planters cost about $100 to make, she said, and holds an assortment of daisies, angel's breath, lilies and other flowers. She also said her yard has been maintained and neat for years.

Root said, while his wife loves the bathtub planter, they opted to just get out of the argument.

"She is sad that it's covered, but we didn't want to pulled into this fight in the first place," he said. "We don't have the time or the funds to fight this, so what are you going to do?"