Slumlord Serving Time in Building Turns to Reading

Milton Avol, the Beverly Hills neurosurgeon and convicted slumlord sentenced to live in one of his own blighted buildings, has been catching up on his reading while serving his time.

“He seems to be handling it,” said attorney Donald Steier, who represents Avol, sentenced after violating health and safety codes. “He putters around the building and spends his evenings reading novels. He said he hadn’t been able to read novels for years.

“It’s not that great of a hardship and he hasn’t been calling with complaints,” Steier said. Avol, 63, moved into the half-empty, rat-infested Hollywood building on July 13 for a 30-day stay after a 15-day jail sentence. He chose to sleep at the apartment as an alternative to spending more time in jail, Steier said.

Municipal Judge Veronica Simmons McBeth imposed the sentence, under which Avol wears an electronic device that discloses his location, because he violated a probation agreement by failing to amend repeated infractions of city health and building codes. Under the terms of the sentence, Avol can roam the building by day but has to stay in his apartment by night. If he moves more than 150 feet away from the telephone link, the electronic “anklet” will alert authorities.

In announcing the terms of the sentence, the judge said she allowed Avol the run of the building in hopes that he would personally make repairs during his monthlong stay. Steier said he believed Avol was supervising the repairs, but doubted if he had done any himself.

Some progress was evident last week. While city building inspectors say some repairs have been made--about half of the electrical work needed to pass city code has been completed--they say the building has a long way to go.

“It’s a lot better,” said Adi Cavazos, 26, who lives on the second floor of the old brick apartment complex.

“It’s cleaner than before. There used to be a lot of garbage. We have a problem with roaches and mice, but the tenants won’t help,” she said, explaining that some apartment-dwellers keep filthy households. In the past, Avol has blamed his tenants for the run-down condition of his buildings.

Since moving in, Avol has shunned reporters. No one answered a knock last week at his newly painted door in room 207. A man who serves dual roles as Avol’s bodyguard and building manager told reporters to leave or face trespassing charges for entering the security-locked building.

Avol, who became the first person in the county to be put under “house arrest” with electronic surveillance, has obeyed the conditions of his sentence by remaining at the complex during the day and in his room at night, said Stephanie Sautner, supervisor of the city attorney’s housing section.

“He looked quite content to be there, to tell you the truth. . . . He had a lot of magazines and legal documents. I think he’s catching up on all his lawsuits.”

Avol has been cited for hundreds of health, fire and building code violations and more than a dozen criminal code infractions at buildings he owned since 1977.

But the doctor’s legal battles will continue past serving the present sentence. In coming months, Avol will return to court to appeal another sentence imposed by a different judge for the same violation, Steier said. The landlord has also been sued by tenant groups.

In Avol’s buildings, inspectors have found rodent infestation, missing or broken windows, lack of fire exits, electrical problems and deteriorating plaster.

Avol has claimed vandalism ruined his properties and that tenants must share the blame for the conditions. He has since sold four of five buildings, and the Hollywood complex is for sale.

Sautner said Avol has had electricians rewiring some areas, and was putting new carpet in some of the apartments, where 18 families live.

But she said most of the repairs were impermanent and cheaply done with unskilled labor.

“He’s cheap. I would term what he’s doing now is whitewashing to make it look good so he can sell it,” she said. “But I’m happy that he’s getting out of the business.”

Times staff writer Craig Quintana contributed to this story.