Wendy, a friend of Febe and Machel says to contact her if you'd like to help. Her email address is:
wendyofwinter@centurytel.net

Two women in Winter are living in a house made of nothing but clay and straw.

Now, the Sawyer County Zoning Department says the home, may be illegal.

Sawyer County Zoning Administrator Bill Christman, says no permits were issued when Febe Dancier and Machel Piper built their home.

He says the process has dragged out in court for almost 2 years.

But the women say they're not hurting anyone, they just want to live quietly and peacefully.

It's a lifestyle many people couldn't handle.

Everyday Machel Piper and Febe Dancier wake up in their clay and mud home.

A home, built with their own hands, and feet.

Machel Piper and Febe Dancier say, "We used sand clay and straw as a mixture. We combined it on a tarp and mixed it with our feet. Everything was done by hand."

After six months of grueling work, the women say the Zoning Department made a visit to evaluate the buildings on their land.

Zoning Administrator Bill Christman says, "It's something no one in our department has seen before and we're just very interested in what is done out there."

But, Christman says the home didn't meet state requirements.

No permits were issued.

And if they were, the women's septic systems weren't up to code compliance, and neither was the size of their home.

Bill Christman says, " The minimum size is 500 square feet. The building is probably less than 200 square feet."

Febe and Machel say the time needed to add square footage onto their home is unrealistic.

Febe Dancier and Machel Piper say, "If we did 175 square feet in one season, there's no way we could do another 325 in another season."

And they're worried their mud and straw home is going to be torn down.

But, they say they'll move on if need be.

Febe Dancier and Machel Piper say, "We tried this and if they want to knock it down, fine, I feel like we were successful and we achieved our goals."

And no matter what happens, the two say they're proud to live the way they do.

Febe Dancier and Machel Piper say, "The conscious is very clear living this way."

Christman says the department isn't ready to make a decision yet on what to do with the house.

He says that's several months down the road.

And it includes the Zoning Office, County Board of Supervisors, the County's Attorney and the Sheriff's Department.

Christman says it doesn't matter what type of material is used to build the house, as long as it's up to code.