# LA Inspectors crack down on Bel-Air mansion for additional code violations



## mark handler (Apr 9, 2015)

Inspectors crack down on Bel-Air mansion for additional code violations

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-belair-mansion-20150408-story.html

By MARTHA GROVES







Los Angeles building inspectors on Wednesday ordered the developer of a controversial hilltop mansion in Bel-Air to demolish and remove all unapproved construction — including concrete decks, retaining walls and other features that they say were completed in violation of a stop-work order.

“He was pretty much caught red-handed,” said Luke Zamperini, chief inspector for the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. “He's got to either get permits for what he has done or demolish the illegal construction.”

He didn't have enough political connections to get the complaints lost in the bureaucracy.

In September, building officials revoked the project’s permits, effectively shutting down construction, after a resident who lives below contended that grading and other activity had destabilized the slope.

Since then, other neighbors of the project at 901 Strada Vecchia had reported several times to city officials that celebrity developer Mohamed Hadid was continuing construction on the 30,000-square-foot, multi-level house, in violation of the stop-work order.

Inspectors who visited the property on Monday noted a laundry list of violations, including the addition of wiring, cabinetry, a concrete slab in the driveway and steel-stud partitions in the garage to create office and storage space.

They also cited far more serious examples of unpermitted construction, including the addition of two levels of irregularly shaped concrete decks, an entire story below basement level and three large retaining walls. The inspectors also listed a dozen changes that had been made to the floor plan, including increases in the height of each floor of the main structure “beyond the scope of approved plans.”

The owner of the property is 901 Strada LLC. A company report lists as its executive James T. Zelloe, a Virginia attorney.

Benjamin Reznik, an attorney for 901 Strada, said construction completed after issuance of the stop-work order was done to protect the exposed house from rain, with the building and safety department’s approval. He also said that inspectors approved the building of the basement and that his client would submit revised plans. He said other issues related to “technical stuff” that his client had agreed to do once the stop-work order was lifted.

Hadid, who avidly promotes himself on social media and has appeared on reality TV shows, is known for a lavish lifestyle and for building over-the-top houses for the extremely well-to-do.

He has 15 days to remove the unapproved retaining walls and other unpermitted work or to seek permits. He also must pay an inspection fee of $336.

“He has a lot of work to do, and it’s not going to be easy,” Zamperini said.

If Hadid does not comply, building officials might ask the city attorney to file criminal misdemeanor charges, Zamperini said.

“All the illegal work could never be permitted retroactively because it violates the zoning code,” said Victor De la Cruz, an attorney for Joseph Horacek, a neighbor who has challenged the project. “There does not appear to be a path forward for this home outside of complete demolition.”

martha.groves@latimes.com

Twitter: @MarthaGroves


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## mark handler (Apr 9, 2015)

Mohamed Hadid Will Not Stop Building the Most Illegal Megamansion in Bel Air

Thursday, April 9, 2015, by Bianca Barragan

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2015/04/mohamed_hadid_will_not_stop_building_the_most_illegal_megamansion_in_bel_air.php






Developer of giant ostentatious displays of glassy wealth Mohamed Hadid plays by his own rules. Revoke his permits to build a 30,000-square-foot megamansion in Bel Air that is possibly destabilizing the hillside and endangering the homes below it? Whatever. Hand him a stop work order on that same disaster mansion? A joke. Last fall, Hadid was told he needed to resubmit paperwork, get new permits for the project, and cease all work on the place at 901 Strada Vecchia until new permits came through. But instead, he just kept building, playing a very expensive game of chicken with the city, says the LA Times. They're on to him, and now the LA Department of Building and Safety says he's got to get rid of all the stuff he illegally built. It's a lot.

Hadid was "pretty much caught red-handed" engaging in illegal construction, says an LADBS rep, and now he has 15 days to remove the unpermitted work. He could try to get permits retroactively for the stuff he's done, but an attorney for one neighbor who's been battling this project (there are many) notes that would be hard to do because most of the things recently and illegally built are actually in violation of zoning code anyway. Some of the surreptitious additions include two levels of concrete decks, three giant retaining walls, and a full story below the basement. Hadid also tweaked his approved floor plans, adding height to every floor of the house above what had been greenlit by the city Planning Department.

Hadid's lawyer claims that this construction was all done with the LADBS's blessing, after the builder was ordered to stop, because it was necessary keep the project safe from rain. That might be true for the retaining walls, since this project has already caused mudslides that ran into neighbors' backyards, but how does the addition of a sub-basement floor help an unfinished house when those torrential SoCal rains hit? The lawyer went on to say that many other violations were just "technical stuff" that Hadid had said he'd do after the stop work order was removed.

If Hadid does as Hadid is wont to do and simply continues to ignore the LADBS, department officials could try to have the city attorney file (misdemeanor) criminal charges.


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## conarb (Apr 9, 2015)

With a name like Hadid his best course of action is to sue both the neighbor and the city for racial discrimination, that should get it cleared up and net him a few million.


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## ICE (Apr 9, 2015)

I saw this on the news and the way it is perched on a hillside looks absolutely wrong.


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