Police Close Little Girls' Lemonade Stand For Lack of Permit

Two little girls from Texas wished to treat their dad for Father's Day and decided to put up a stand to sell snacks  and raise $105 for their tickets to a waterpark. However, the police closed down their stand shortly due to the lack of a business permit.

The Green sisters, Andria, 8, and Zoey, 7, wanted to make their dad feel extra special on Father's day. They wanted to treat him at Splash Kingdom Waterpark. However, the two girls wanted to pay for the waterpark tickets themselves, so they decided to work for it instead of just asking their mom for money.

The two decided to set up a lemonade stand in a residential street in Overton, Texas. They sold lemonade for 50 cents and popcorn for a dollar each. 

However, the little's girls business did not last that long, since about an hour after opening, the police arrived, telling them they need a permit to sell lemonade.

The police were considerate enough to waive the permit fee that would cost $150—way higher than the amount the two kids are targeting to raise—but advised them to get a permit from the city hall.

Overton Police Chief Clyde Carter told Yahoo Parenting that the children were also instructed by the city to check with the health department, which they failed to do.

Texas law is strict whe it comes to the selling of food that requires temperature control to prevent spoilage. Doing so without permit is illegal and this is the offense committed by the two girls. Carter said, "It's because of the bacteria that can grow in the lemonade. The popcorn they were selling was perfectly legal."

However, the mother of the two girls, Sandi Evans, does not agree to the idea of sending the two girls to the health department, describing the order as "ridiculous." Evans told KTV, "I think they're 7 and 8 and they're just trying to make money for their own cause."

Evans did not further comment when asked by Yahoo Parenting about the incident. However, she posted her sentiments on Facebook, "The police department was very nice to us and provided us with the correct paperwork to get a 'lemonade selling permit." She added, "This is unreal! It's just lemonade! I almost feel slapped in the face as a return for the effort my family puts into our community!"

According to KLTV, the family will no longer pursue the permit but will still set up a stall on Saturday. This time they will not be selling their lemonade but will be giving it away for free. The girls are also asking for donations.