[quote=svelte]You make it sound like she was a fine upstanding citizen who just happened to have nosy neighbors.
This woman tried to strip the house after it was returned to the bank![/quote]
svelte, I’m not condoning her trying to strip the property after she lost it. She should have just put the whole mess behind her at that point. I believe she may have filed for Chapter 7, but I haven’t checked.
I have an article somewhere (SD Mag?) with a full-spread layout of the property detailing her plans and problems with the City of Enc.
Brown came into this project with $1-2 mil. of her OWN $$ (bad investment, for sure). She isn’t a stupid woman. If I recall, I believe the City of Enc. APPROVED her plans AND a conditional use permit. But because of her application for the permit, the City had to send out the obigatory letters to all owners w/i 300 feet, triggering a hearing. The owners came out in droves to the hg. and put the kobosh on her “rehab” concept so then the City had to renege on the use permit. At that time, the foundation and most of the framing was done but because it was so big, the neighbors filed complaints about it’s size, triggering another hearing. I’m not sure what happened there, but she might have had to scale back the whole project.
During this time, Brown COULD HAVE changed the inside to reflect a private luxury home (more walls, etc). HER MISTAKE WAS CONTINUING ON “ALTRUISTICALLY” WITH HER “SANCTUARY” CONCEPT while neighbor opposition was pending.
I would have halted construction at the first sign of trouble from neighbors and filed a mandamus action on City when it reneged on one or both orig. permits. However that turned out, I would have filed a claim against the City for damages and then sued them. BUT SHE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HALT construction and mitigate her damages to be successful here. As I recall, she HAD one or two lawyers trying to help her at one time. Perhaps she ran out of $$ to pay them.
Enc. prob. would have settled with her because they f**ked up, big time. This is NOT unusual, governments mess up and backpedal often.
Brown repeatedly jumping the gun and getting personally involved in these neighbor skirmishes is what got her into this mess.
In 2004, her builder perfected and foreclosed on its mechanic’s lien. This is no doubt what drove her to the brink. I haven’t checked, but the builder could have also been subject to any take-out loans Brown had. Everybody is taking a bath here, incl. Brown.
I predict Brown ends up getting charged with misd. vandalism and pays a fine or the charges are dropped, b/c she already made restitution.
IMO, In CA, NIMBYism has truly gotten out of control, severely affecting individual property rights. There are several of these 5-6 bdrm. rehabs in 91911. The “patients” aren’t even allowed cars. They’re usually there around 30-90 days. They’re quiet, and “patients” also do chores around the property. Some of the newer neighbors may not even know its a rehab. The patients are usually there under court order, some to get custody of their kids back.
I know some people in Olivenhain are keeping horses and trying to maintain a “rural” lifestyle. But for whatever reason they acted as though they were living on an island in “G*d’s Country” in this instance. Are there actually CC&R’s there? To be blunt, Olivenhain is nothing more than a four-sided Dehesa, IMHO. Meaning SURROUNDED BY EXPOSURE TO FIRE ON ALL FOUR SIDES (instead of 3), a potential “death trap,” not unlike hiking outside Solvang or SLO in September and sleeping in a tent. It is smack dab in the middle of a very dangerous fire zone. I have no idea how the owners there are getting insurance (help from State??).
2009Buyer, I have an idea. Why don’t you send direct mail pieces with a business reply card to all the owners w/i 300 feet of this property to get a feel for what they think of this property being leased to an online graduate school. There wouldn’t be too many people there unless the students were meeting with their mentors or there was an orientation or graduation going on. The main road is nearby and there’s plenty of on-site pkg. You could get some income for a few years until the market for luxury properties picks up 🙂
