13 New Charges Filed Against Landlord

Milton Avol, a neurosurgeon from Beverly Hills who is appealing a sentence that he live 30 days in one of the blighted Los Angeles apartment buildings he owns, was charged Thursday with 13 new counts of failing to correct fire, safety and health code violations at the downtown apartment building where he was ordered to serve his unique sentence.

Deputy City Atty. Stephanie Sautner said Avol, 61, and his wife, Ann, were ordered in April to correct code violations in a 37-unit apartment building they own at 463 S. Bixel St., “but he did very little to comply.”

Sautner said the building is infested with rats and bugs, a window frame and pane are missing, plaster has buckled or is missing in bathrooms, and garbage has been allowed to accumulate both inside and outside.

The prosecutor said she filed only 13 misdemeanor counts of code violations because she did not file a separate count for each instance of damaged walls, exposed wiring or other violations. If he and his wife are convicted, they could face $13,000 in fines and up to 6 1/2 years in jail.

In June, Los Angeles Municipal Judge Veronica Simmons McBeth sentenced Avol, whose medical office is in Hawthorne, to 30 days in jail and another 30 days under “house arrest” in Room 117 of the Bixel Street building for repeatedly failing to clear up code violations.

McBeth said Avol would be allowed to bring clean sheets with him, and may have food sent in if he wishes. He would also be permitted reading materials, a television set, a private security guard--and a telephone, so that authorities can make sure that he is in the room at all times (except when he is using the bathroom, which is across the hall).

McBeth sentenced Avol after ruling that he had not adequately complied with an ultimatum in April that he bring his properties at 1821 and 1839 S. Main St. up to city safety, fire and health code standards. After spending part of one day in jail, he was released on bail pending his appeal.

The neurosurgeon, who could not be reached for comment on the new charges, owns five buildings with a total of about 300 apartment units in Los Angeles. He was convicted in 1979 of fire safety violations at the 1821 S. Main St. building, fined $3,000 and ordered to donate 1,000 hours in medical service to the community.

Avol and his wife will be arraigned Aug. 29 on the new charges.