Palos Verdes Estates woman who upset neighbors by renting out house for large gatherings pleads no contest
A Palos Verdes Estates woman who upset neighbors by renting out her 7,000-square-foot house for weddings, film shoots and other large gatherings, including an art and furniture auction, pleaded no contest Friday to creating a public nuisance.
Melahat Uzumcu was sentenced to three years’ informal probation and fined $500. She is not allowed to rent the home for commercial purposes and must give the city 72 hours notice if more than 50 people visit her at once.
Uzumcu was charged with four misdemeanors before agreeing to a plea with the city prosecutor. She faced two years in jail and a $4,000 fine.
The home on Paseo del Mar was advertised on several websites for weddings and other large parties, but also for film shoots and vacation rentals at $2,000 a night and $10,000 a week.
The house sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, and floors made of wood from Brazil.
Police responded to noise and parking complaints from neighbors 18 times in July, August and September. Some compared the noise to a rock concert.
When she originally was charged, Uzumcu said she had just returned from a year in Argentina and her native Turkey. She said then that neighbors complained because they were “just jealous they don’t have my home.”
She could not be reached for comment Friday.
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