Palos Verdes ‘Dream House’

I was appalled upon reading the article (Page One, Dec. 15.) regarding the Aughinbaughs’ Palos Verdes home. Apparently the homeowners’ association has given itself the authority as lord and master over all the residents. They have put the Aughinbaughs through hell--and for what? The association doesn’t want to gaze upon something that might not be pleasing to their eyes; they want their community to be perfect (who cares if the people in these homes have lost all compassion and love for their fellow man). These people would rather have a bare, razed lot than have to spend one more horrible day watching that beautiful (nearly completed) home be finished.

The court in this case has one question to ask itself: What is best for the neighborhood? Allowing the completion of a home in which the Aughinbaughs have spent more than a million dollars, not to mention the hard work and love they’ve put into it over the years. The home will be a handsome addition to the area, adding beauty and thereby raising surrounding home values. The ugly alternative, tearing it down leaving a bare piece of dirt, seems somehow unholy, and definitely criminal.

DONNA J. ATHENS

Ventura