# Calabasas widens building-code crackdown



## mark handler

latimes.com/news/local/la-me-calabasas-20110324,0,6743176.story

latimes.com

Calabasas widens building-code crackdown

Inspectors raid the home of Shelly Palmer and Ion Bugar, part of a controversial effort targeting older, rural houses.

Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times

March 24, 2011

Hours before Calabasas' hard-line mayor stepped down, city officials widened a controversial crackdown on alleged building code violations in older, rural-area homes.

Inspectors raided an 87-year-old Canon Drive house, taking measurements and photographs in a search for unpermitted room additions, fixtures and other features.

"This is a court-ordered inspection of both the inside and outside of the property," said city prosecutor Kenneth Dapeer as officials arrived Wednesday at the gate to Shelly Palmer's home next to a gurgling Old Topanga Canyon stream at the southwest edge of the San Fernando Valley.

Past Palmer's ornately carved front door, city building official Sparky Cohen led building inspector Jason Reithoffer and code enforcement officer Ray Soria through the house as Palmer, a 52-year-old real estate agent, watched silently along with upset neighbors.

The hourlong inspection of the 1924 home covered bathrooms, bedroom, living room and kitchen, as well as outside areas.

The action was reminiscent of a raid in July that forced a Stokes Canyon rancher off his pioneering family's land after officials ordered water and electricity cut off. Lloyd Smith, 70, has not been allowed to return to the property.

The crackdown stems from strict enforcement of a beefed-up septic system inspection program championed by Mayor Barry Groveman, a self-described environmental activist. Groveman did not seek reelection last month and left the City Council as newly elected members were sworn in Wednesday night.

Groveman did not respond to requests for comment. But opponents of the crackdown in older neighborhoods on Calabasas' mountainous south side say he had pledged publicly to press for vigorous code enforcement as long as he was in office.

Steven Gambardella, an attorney representing Palmer and several of her neighbors, asked Cohen not to post photos of Palmer's property and possessions on a city website, as officials did after the Smith raid.

Palmer was "selected because she has come to City Council meetings and come out against" the tough septic system enforcement policy, Gambardella said.

City officials left without commenting on their findings. Dapeer said Palmer's septic system — which has been the trigger for past enforcement actions — was not on the list of things inspectors were looking for during their visit.

Others who witnessed the raid were critical of the city's actions.

"It's ludicrous," said Bob Stephens, who lives in the nearby Calabasas Highlands area. He said other rural residents wonder if they're next in line for the scrutiny.

Palmer said husband Ion Bugar, an electrician, was at work Wednesday and missed the raid. "He fled communist Romania 27 years ago by swimming across the Danube while being shot at. He hates police states," she said.

bob.pool@latimes.com

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times


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## jpranch

Here is the link to the article: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-calabasas-20110324,0,6743176.story

With out all the information related to this issue I have to say only in Californcation. It will be a cold day in Hades when I as a code official will EVER seek a court ordered inspection. Anybody ever heard of the 4th amendment??? Or for matter the rest of the constitution???


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## mmmarvel

Might get nasty down here in Texas if such a move is tried.  I'm sure someone would move from the 4th amendment to the 2nd down here - and down here, the juries support

2nd amendment rights BIG TIME.


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## Yankee

jpranch said:
			
		

> Here is the link to the article: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-calabasas-20110324,0,6743176.story With out all the information related to this issue I have to say only in Californcation. It will be a cold day in Hades when I as a code official will EVER seek a court ordered inspection. Anybody ever heard of the 4th amendment??? Or for matter the rest of the constitution???


I guess I can't agree, as I have sought an administrative inspection warrent for a gas piping issue. And I am comfortable with that.


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## Kearney.200

What happened to honey over vinegar?

I could see a few reasons for a warrant but not one from that article.


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## Gene Boecker

Welcome to the land of fruits and nuts!


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## NH09

Most reporters tend to embellish quite a bit when it comes to reporting stuff like this. I would be interested in hearing the building departments backround on the case, this seems like an extreme action and possibly a tool of last resort for the town.


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## jpranch

NH09 said:
			
		

> Most reporters tend to embellish quite a bit when it comes to reporting stuff like this. I would be interested in hearing the building departments backround on the case, this seems like an extreme action and possibly a tool of last resort for the town.


Excellent point. "embellish"??? I have seen reporters out right lie! I never talk to them. I always send them to our public information officer.


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## Mule

jpranch said:
			
		

> I have seen reporters out right lie! I never talk to them.


I had a situation come up with the Salvation Army wanting to use a retailed zoned property for storage. I denied the request. Had TV cameras all over me. You would have thought I shot the commander in charge! Now that story got twisted all out of proportion!!

PS. It was for their Angel Tree program.


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## FM William Burns

Don't talk to them anymore either except for sending them "exact" text on Pub Ed etc.  I got tired of being mis-quoted and the political issues and paper cuts associated with that


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## conarb

Mark said:
			
		

> The crackdown stems from strict enforcement of a beefed-up septic system  inspection program championed by Mayor Barry Groveman, *a self-described  environmental activist*.


A blatant example of environmental extremism, and you guys and gals are going to have to enforce these totalitarian laws, just say not to Green! couldn't just one of those inspectors have stood up and said no, I'm not going to enforce these totalitarian laws?


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## Alias

Here we go again with the septic tanks and all the hogwash about needing them to be engineered.........  A couple of years ago, some brainiac from lala land tried to get a bill passed requiring all septic systems to be engineered.  That bill was voted down but another one is purported to be lurking on the horizon.  What do you want to make a bet that the Calabasas septic inspections are tied to a new septic installation bill?


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## conarb

Sue said:
			
		

> What do you want to make a bet that the Calabasas septic inspections are tied to a new septic installation bill?


They've got to pay those government employee salary, pension and health benefits somehow, putting fees on everything is easier than raising taxes, although this is more environmental insanity than municipal money grubbing.


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## JMORRISON

Interesting pictures of other case mentioned in article

http://www.cityofcalabasas.com/smithphotos.html


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## conarb

My God, I take back everything I said, looks like one of those aging Hippie enclaves that we have been trying to get rid of in some remote areas around here.


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## Alias

hmmmm......interesting photos. Definitely wrong on multiple issues - building, zoning, enviro health, etc., etc..........

Maybe same issues with other property?  Maybe other property is a 'hoarding' situation?


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## Yankee

I like the potted cactus


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## conarb

I liked the nice inspector.



​


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## Gene Boecker

What!?

Can't a person go camping on their own property?



Seriously!  There's a lot of bigger issues than a simple septic system there.


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## brudgers

conarb said:
			
		

> My God, I take back everything I said, looks like one of those aging Hippie enclaves that we have been trying to get rid of in some remote areas around here.


Glad to see that your stance is based on principle rather than your personal opinions about the way people live.


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## mtlogcabin

> Palmer said husband Ion Bugar, an electrician


They ought to be looking more closely at where he works than where he lives.


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## Alias

Don't they know that the sewerage draining down the hillside is watering and fertilizing the walnut trees?  :mrgreen:


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## conarb

Sue said:
			
		

> Don't they know that the sewerage draining down the hillside is watering and fertilizing the walnut trees?


Does he get Green Points for that? For all we know this guy was "saving the earth".


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## JMORRISON

Please note those are photos of the "Smith Property" not the Bugar property.  The lawyer asked that the Bugar photos not be posted.  There are some hoarding properties in the city I work in and we will be working on those this year as building has slowed down.  I am suprised the warrant included right of entry into the structures and RV's


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## NH09

From the pictures on the Calabasas website it would appear the Warrant was justified; there are numerous violations evident in the photos. I like the way the reporter wrote "_Past Palmer's ornately carved front door, city building official Sparky Cohen led building inspector Jason Reithoffer and code enforcement officer Ray Soria through the house_", when I read the article I thought of some old farmhouse, not a junkyard/campsite.


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## NH09

Oops, posted before I read jmorrisons post above - wrong property


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## FredK

Remember when we did 12-14 years ago in another AHJ.  Envolved a whole group of people with similiar "camping" stuff built over the years without permits.  County people finally got together with warrants, sherriff and septic went in and wrote a whole lot of stuff up.  Mostly the camps came down, buildings could stay if built correctly(or mostly), people agreed to something for the health dept requirement for septic(can not remmeber what that was) and since there was not electric were required to add a 9v smoke alarm.

FWIW wonder what he'd take for the Ford truck?


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