Half-House May Soon Be Complete

Call it the case of a house without a home.

For more than six months, residents have been irked by half a house sitting on a trailer at the edge of a property at Coldwater Canyon Boulevard and Potosi Avenue.

Because Valley-based Oakville Construction Inc. failed to get proper permits before the one-story house was moved last October, a judge later ordered that about half of it be removed.

And so the remaining half has sat--an odd sight for neighbors and commuters.

In June, proper permits were obtained and the house is expected to be finished by the end of next month. As of Friday, 10 yards of concrete foundation had just been poured, said Russ Malanga of Oakville.

“It’s obvious that the job here is only halfway done and we look forward to seeing the other half [completed] or what’s left removed,” said Tony Lucente, president of the Studio City Residents Assn.

“It’s a major thoroughfare, so it caught the attention of our constituents immediately and they’ve been very upset,” said Josh Lowenthal, a field deputy for City Councilman Mike Feuer, whose office worked with city Department of Building and Safety inspectors to get Oakville to comply with city guidelines.

Although Malanga had permits to move the house, he did not have the necessary approvals to place the structure on the Coldwater Canyon property, Lowenthal said.

After a series of warnings in November to either get the proper permits or demolish the structure, inspectors found that Malanga had failed to comply and issued a criminal citation with a Dec. 12 court date, Lowenthal said.

After two court appearances without a lawyer, Malanga was ordered to remove the south end of the structure. In January, after demolishing half the house, Malanga pleaded no contest and was fined more than $400 and put on probation for 24 months. As part of his probation, he must either remove the house entirely or finish the project.