More Counts on Slumlord Filed by City

Dr. Milton Avol, the neurosurgeon from Beverly Hills sentenced last year to house arrest in one of his own blighted Los Angeles apartment buildings for continued building and safety violations, has been charged with further probation violations at two apartment houses at 1821 and 1839 S. Main St.

The city attorney’s office filed the notice of probation violations this week, after inspectors discovered infractions, including rodent infestation, peeling paint, broken windows, inoperable fire extinguishers and fire doors and exposed live wires.

A hearing on the violations is scheduled March 19 before Los Angeles Municipal Judge Veronica Simmons McBeth, who imposed the sentence last June of 30 days in jail and another 30 days under house arrest in Avol’s 463 S. Bixel St. tenement.

Faces 10-Month Sentence

Avol, 61, who faces a maximum penalty of 10 months for the probation violations, has appealed the earlier sentence. The matter is still pending in the Los Angeles Superior Court appellate division, the city attorney’s office said.

“That appeal does not relieve Avol of his duty to comply with city codes at the property,” City Atty. James K. Hahn said Wednesday, “so yesterday we filed the notice of probation violation as a result of the inspections about two weeks ago.”

Hahn said city inspectors were “sent to the buildings in response to continuing complaints about the conditions there.”

Avol, who has operated a South Bay-based medical practice, was first convicted of slum violations on the two four-story South Main Street apartments in September, 1983. He was placed on three years’ probation at the time and ordered to clean up the apartments, authorities said.

It was at a compliance hearing last June stemming from earlier probation violations on the two buildings that McBeth issued the unusual sentence for the South Bixel Street building. Under its terms, Avol would be allowed to bring in clean sheets, reading materials a television and a private security guard. Avol was also fined $7,000 in January for code violations at the 15-unit South Bixel Street building.