St. Louis Park: Neighbor lawsuit against family’s basketball hoop is moot

Officials in St. Louis Park say that a restraining order which aims to stop a family from using their basketball hoop goes too far and has no legal basis to move forward.

City attorney Jared Shepherd opined in a memo filed Monday that Fred and Julia Ramos have no legal basis for filing a restraining order against their neighbors, Ross and Lilly Moeding. That restraining order sought to stop Moeding’s children from using the hoop in their own driveway, citing safety concerns ahead of a months-long construction project to build an addition to the Ramoses’ home.

In St. Louis Park a sports court structure, such as a basketball hoop, must be at least five feet from others’ property lines. Because St. Louis Park amended its zoning code this March, adding that a driveway is not considered a sport court, the city argues that the Ramoses’ claim is now moot.

“The motion goes too far in preventing children and residents of St. Louis Park from peaceful play and enjoyment of their own property,” the city’s memo read. “Because the surface the [Moedings] use to play basketball is their driveway, and the city code definition states that driveways shall not be considered a sport court, the [Moedings’] basketball hoop is not a ‘sport court’ under current city code.”

Fred and Julia Ramos, who are representing themselves in court, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Tension between the Ramos and Moeding families escalated in 2024. According to Lilly Moeding’s online fundraiser, the Ramos family raised concerns about the Moedings’ basketball hoop and how close it was to their property after moving in last year. Julia Ramos confirmed via court documents that the St. Louis Park Community Mediation Services program attempted to help the neighbors make peace last summer, but failed.

The Ramos family appealed to the city, charging that the hoop’s location violated city zoning ordinance requiring that a sport court be five feet away from property lines. The Moedings moved the hoop last November, but Julia Ramos said the hoop continued to threaten her privacy and the Moeding children’s safety.

“On one occasion, a child ran through my driveway, including running all the way back into my private backyard and right in front of my detached garage. I could have been backing out of my garage at that time or had tripping hazards on my driveway,” Ramos said in court documents.

“I fear for their safety and my exposure to liability, of being hit by a flying ball, and, overall, am deeply concerned that an accident could occur.”

Moeding explained through her online fundraiser that her family loves cheering for the Timberwolves and using the court to encourage her 9- and 12-year-old boys to engage in healthy activities. The Moedings continue to challenge the issue in court, but Lilly Moeding wrote that any future decisions will be based on “what is realistically possible with the support we receive.”

“Our neighbors both have legal degrees from a prestigious and highly ranked law school. Because they are representing themselves, they can continue pursuing these actions without facing the mounting legal costs we are incurring. Meanwhile, we have had to hire legal counsel to defend ourselves — and the costs are overwhelming,“ Moeding’s post read.

“But after many long, hard conversations, we realized this isn’t just about a basketball hoop,” she wrote. “It’s about teaching our boys that when faced with an injustice, you don’t back down. It’s about standing up for what’s right - even when it’s uncomfortable, even when the odds feel stacked against you.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves have invited the Moeding family to Thursday’s Western Conference semi-finals game at Target Center. The Timberwolves will play the Golden State Warriors at 7:30 p.m. However, it’s unclear if the Moedings will attend.