WESTLAKE : Convicted Slumlord Faces New Charges

A property owner convicted two years ago of slum violations in an Eastside apartment building has again pleaded no contest to slumlord charges, this time for a Westlake-area residential hotel.

Rami K. Grinwald, 38, of Encino was recently charged with 10 violations of various fire, health and building and safety codes in a two-story, 37-room residential hotel he owns at 717 S. Columbia Ave.

The charges grew out of an investigation conducted from January to April by the city attorney’s Slum Housing Task Force.

Code violations found during the inspections included missing heaters, damaged doors, damaged walls and ceilings, defective and missing light fixtures and smoke detectors, faulty plumbing, cockroach and rodent infestation and accumulated trash on the premises.

According to Deputy City Atty. Lawrence Punter, who handled the case, Grinwald was convicted in 1993 of slum violations in a 60-unit Highland Park apartment complex he co-owned with Zvi Lipman, 35, of Sherman Oaks. In that case, both defendants pleaded no contest to 10 code violations and paid a total of $12,723 in fines.

Punter said the fines in the Highland Park case were paid and the property was brought into compliance with city codes. Although Lipman is also a partner in the Columbia Avenue property, charges were dismissed against him in that case, Punter said.

Grinwald has been ordered to do 100 hours of community service and pay $14,966 in fines and court costs. In addition, Punter said, he has been placed on three years’ probation. As a condition of his probation, he must present proof that he has completed all necessary repairs to the Westlake building by Sept. 28, when he is next scheduled to appear in court.