Rolling Hills : Ruling on Damaged Home

The City Council this week ordered the owner of a home damaged by a slow-moving landslide to demolish and clear the dilapidated portion and renovate an exposed wall into an exterior wall.

The structure is a fire hazard and a nuisance, the council said.

Larry Kelly, who has owned the home at 2 Pinto Road in the Flying Triangle area since 1974, told the council his attorney had advised him not to demolish the eastern end of his home because of pending litigation.

Kelly and 40 others in the Flying Triangle have filed suit in Torrance Superior Court against several governmental entities, including the city and the Rolling Hills Community Assn., and two engineering firms. Kelly said he wants to leave the property as is “for evidence and for public viewing by the jury.”

The landslide has swept about 65% of the Kelly home into Klondike Canyon. The rest is relatively undamaged, according to the city staff.

Last fall, when city building officials found the residence to be substandard, Kelly was permitted to continue living in the undamaged portion provided he submit plans for rehabilitation.

Kelly, who said he still occupies the home, has not submitted plans, officials said.

The council has given Kelly until Nov. 24 to improve his property. If he refuses, City Atty. Michael Jenkins told the council it could authorize the work and seek reimbursement from Kelly by placing a lien on the property.