SEATTLE - The man who is being evicted from his illegal tree house is getting some good news.

David Csak built an elaborate tree house high in the trees on city-owned property near Lake Union.

Earlier this week, city workers told him he'd have to vacate his hand-cobbled house by Wednesday morning.

Now, he's been given a 10-day extension. And Csaky's Eastlake neighbors have banded together and bought him an RV.

 Background: 'Squirrelman' builds treehouse

Csaky started building the treehouse in the 3100 block of Eastlake Avenue East two years ago. It has separate rooms, and he gets up and down on ladders that are counterweighted with sandbags.

People passing by call it something to behold.

"I think it's pretty impressive," said passer-by Craig Downing. "It's a pretty elaborate system he's got."

Csaky, who has a pet rat named Lucky, a ferret named Rainbow, and a squirrel named Tilt, says the treehouse was inspired by the desire for a place to call home.

"I was in some briers for a while," he says. "And they'd break off and I'd roll over and get stabbed and it's not a good feeling, so I just wanted to get off the ground."

City Light spokeswoman Suzanne Hartman said he was ordered to leave because the treehouse is a health and safety concern, adding that a bed in a shelter was waiting for Csaky if he wants one.

He doesn't expect to need that option.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that Brandon Ferrante, 28, and Maria Bolander, 27, who befriended him after watching the treehouse take shape, found an aging 22-foot Monaco RV on Craigslist after they learned of Csaky's situation.

"It broke our hearts," Ferrante said. "He's taken care of the neighborhood. We couldn't sleep at night. We decided to make it happen."

They and their landlords, Janet Yoder and husband Robby Rudine, agreed to buy the rig for $500 after the owner offered a special "Squirrelman" discount.

"David's a unique character but a good neighbor," Yoder said.

After delivering the RV Tuesday evening, owner Timothy Custer decided instead to sell it to Csaky for a penny.

"It's Dave's new house," Custer said.

To make the house a home, Ferrante said, the task is now to find a permanent parking place.

"We don't want to see it get towed," he said.