Michigan boy, 13, made homeless after city shuts shown his hot dog stand
- Nathan Duszynski bought stand with savings to help earn money for disabled parents
- Boy's stand shut down after 10 minutes for not having a proper permit
- Nathan's mother said she was told by a city official a permit wasn't needed
A 13-year-old who scrimped and saved to buy a hot dog stand to help his struggling family is now in a homeless shelter after his city shut his cart down over a permit violation.
Previously living with two parents who are both disabled and unemployed, Nathan Duszynski of Holland, Michigan said he hoped his summer business would help his family make ends meet, no matter how small.
It was only after claimed misguidance from a city official on what permits he'd need, he failed.
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Helping out: Hoping to help his struggling parents who are on disability and unemployed, 13-year-old Nathan Duszynski purchased this hot dog stand with his savings
'Nate and I are now in a shelter,' his mother Lynnette who suffers from epilepsy told Mackinac Media.
Speaking of her husband, Nathan's step-father Doug Johnson, who has multiple sclerosis, she said their family in result of the transition are no longer together either.
'Doug can't stay with us because he takes prescription narcotics to deal with his pain and the shelter does not allow him with those kinds of drugs,' she said.
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Together the family receives about $1,300 a month in disability payments, a meagre sum with Mr Johnson recently losing his job.
Stepping up to the plate, the 13-year old said he used his savings to purchase the hot dog stand after doing a great deal of research on what could be most successful for business according to the economy and the area.
Misguided: Nathan said he spoke with a woman at city hall to ask about required permits needed for business and was told he didn't need one, which was wrong
'I'm just trying to bring in some money for them and the household as they're struggling,' he told Mackinac Media.
He also researched what, if any, permits he'd need.
'We went and we talked with Anna from city hall ... and asked her do we need like a business permit, a license? And she said no,' his mother told Mackinac Media.
No more than 10 minutes after setting up shop outside a sporting goods store who granted the boy permission, city officials caught sight of his stand and asked about that permit.
Not having one, they told him he'd have to close up shop right away.
Law: While on private property in a store's parking lot of a store that permitted his business, the city outlaws food carts downtown without a permit as they distract from restaurants who pay taxes
'I thought, wow, I'm getting shut down all ready and I haven't even started,' Nathan said.
According to CBS, the stand was within the city's downtown commercial zone where food carts not affiliated with restaurants are not permitted.
City of Holland Assistant Manager Greg Robinson said that the rule was established as a protection to restaurants in the area who pay property costs, unlike food carts.
'This is a great opportunity for him, and it would be great to work with him and we can in many commercial areas of the city. This just happens to be one where he can't,' Mr Robinson told Mackinac Media last week.
Moves: Nathan sold his cart but as luck would have it to a man who allowed him to keep it for use, though that didn't stop his family from moving to a homeless shelter
Changing his hot dog stand's sign to 'for sale' Nathan has since sold his cart, but not exactly at a loss.
CBS reports a local businessman having purchased the cart while allowing him to keep it for his use, entirely for free. Nathan has since taken the cart to private events.
Not without new challenges, however, his next he said is the health department: Each event he works he says he has to purchase a new permit from them.
Nathan said it's difficult for him to turn any kind of profit with all of the extra costs.
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