IRVINE : Bid to Evict Family From Unfinished Home Rejected

An Orange County Superior Court judge Thursday afternoon refused the city’s request to evict Haym and Fern Ganish from their Kron Street home, saying the legal process begun by the city to demolish their three-story, castle-like house must run its course.

Haym Ganish, a 52-year-old retired engineer, and city officials have been at odds for a dozen years over the start-and-stop remodeling of his stone-covered home into what some neighbors have dubbed the “Kron Street Castle.” Haym and Fern Ganish live in the home with their three children.

Superior Court Judge Nancy Wieben Stock said she was making a “liberal allowance” for the Ganish family because legal proceedings are still in the early stages.

They will return to court on Nov. 9 to set a trial date. Ganish has mounted a constitutional challenge against the city ordinance used to justify demolishing the house.

Attorney Patrick Munoz, representing the city Thursday, said the Ganish family should be evicted from the house for their own safety.

City officials allege numerous state safety-code violations at the house, including exposed wiring and structural deficiencies.

“The place is incredibly dangerous,” Munoz said. “If there’s an earthquake, it is very likely to collapse. If there’s a fire, it’s likely to take out the entire neighborhood. We’re simply trying to make sure the entire neighborhood is protected the best that we can.”

But the family’s attorney, Robert Sainburg, denied there are any safety-code violations. He said the motivation of city officials is to enforce the uniformity of the master-planned community.

“This is their dream house,” Sainburg said of the Ganish family. “The city has been basically trampling over their rights because some of the neighbors have complained that the way it looks is not in conformity to the neighborhood.”