Megamansion developer Mohamed Hadid in trouble with building officials again

Megamansion developer and big-time LA landowner Mohamed Hadid has once again run into trouble with city building officials.

The city has ordered all construction to stop on a Beverly Crest property where Hadid plans to erect a four-story residence with two pools, according to building department spokesperson Kim Arther. The directive was issued as Hadid tears down another mansion in Bel Air under a court order.

Hadid must “address corrections issued to the [Beverly Crest] property before any construction can proceed,” Arther says.

Unless those corrections are made, department officials have indicated that they intend to revoke at least 12 permits issued for work on the site, which is located near the popular Hastain hiking trail. It’s unclear how long Hadid has to make the corrections; the building department has not responded to multiple requests for more information.

Documents obtained under a Public Records Act show that the permits were flagged for revocation in October and November. As of today, that status is unchanged.

Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu, who represents the area, says he’s urging city inspectors to keep a close eye on the site.

Hadid “has every right to build on land that he owns,” says Ryu. “But given his track record, I will be monitoring this project closely.”

Hadid has acquired about 100 acres of land around the Beverly Crest parcel, according to the Los Angeles Times. The parcel where work has stopped is owned by Treetop Development LLC; in state records, Hadid is listed as the company’s manager.

Courtesy of an anonymous tipster

He also owns property in Bel Air, where he started building but now has to tear down a hillside spec mansion. That home was the subject of two legal fights.

In one case, Hadid pleaded no contest to criminal charges that he built the multi-level hillside residence larger than permits allowed. Hadid was initially required to bring the property into compliance with those permits as part of the ruling.

A separate civil case brought by neighboring homeowners, sought the total demolition of the house. In November, the Los Angeles Times reported that the judge presiding over the civil case ordered the developer to completely tear the house down. That decision was in line with what city officials had said just a month prior, when they filed a court motion saying that the best way to bring the property into compliance was to remove it.

Hadid filed for bankruptcy after the November ruling, but a bankruptcy judge threw out his filing, saying Hadid was merely attempting to stall demolition of the house.

Hadid has fought legal battles over the Beverly Crest property too. He butted heads with hikers about four years ago over public access to the Hastain Trail, which runs through the public Franklin Canyon Park as well as through part of the 100-acre property where Hadid plans to build a handful of luxurious homes, including the one where the city has told him to stop work.

A 2016 ruling gave Hadid the go-ahead to keep hikers off the property. At the time of the decision, Hadid told the Los Angeles Times that the legal process had been “very costly for me, mentally and financially over the years,” and that he was looking forward to continuing to develop the site.