Property owners told to tear out would-be house
This property at 1348 Wildwood Ave. will be restored and not be built on in the future. Photo/LTN
South Lake Tahoe property owners are going to have rip out the foundation and walls they had put in for a house because it has been ruled they did so illegally.
Thang Vu and his now ex-wife Jennifer Khuu bought the Wildwood Avenue property in 2002, were issued a building permit in 2007, had that revoked in 2008 when the easement blocking the building surfaced, and sued the city in 2009. Khuu now owns the property, but Vu based on court records, was the plaintiff.
The permit was revoked because the lot is unbuildable. A 1981 agreement made it so this parcel would always be open space. The plaintiffs knew this, but chose to build any way. Then they sued the city when they were told construction must stop.
The City Council earlier this year opted to not settle the case, but instead take it to court.
The case has been settled with the city winning and all charges against it and individual employees being dropped.
The property owner must remove all evidence of construction and restore the site per Tahoe Regional Planning Agency regulations by July 2014. Because dirt cannot be disturbed in the basin again until May, that is why they have so much time to rectify the problem.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Any idea why the house on Pioneer Trl burned earlier in the year has not been torn down? This is a hazard and also makes our community look like a junk yard. Santiago was quick to have burned homes in Angora torn down. Why is the city allowing this burnt structure to stand? Anyone? This is the home across from Hal Cole.
Bob
The burntout house on Pioneer belongs to Peter Darvas, a local artist. He claims to be having a hard time collecting from his insurance company creating such a long delay.
The burned out grow house on Carson ave. still stands, ( they were trying to divert electrity for grow lights with faulty wiring) which sits behind me, has sat as an empty, charred, boarded up shell of a home for almost a year. The neighbors and I are hoping for a heavy winter and maybe the snow load will crush it to the ground. Which is where I will rent a bulldozer and bury the eyesore.
Call the city Code Enforcement Dept., they will help.
542-6135 Take care , Old Long Skiis
Good job to the city council to not just cave and settle this. The owners were clearly trying to put one over on the town.
Question is, what is going on with Peter Darvis’ house? It’s a mess!
I remember a similar piece of property with easment problems on Pioneer Trail several years back. It was owned by a local, connected individual. It was settled amicably, of course.
Hey Old Long Skis . I have another question for you. Pertaining to this article, is this lot unbuildable because the coverage was sold to another property and the coverage used by that other property ? If so, these people should be fined, don’t you think ?
So why did the property owners get a building permit issued in 2007? Seems that would weaken SLT’s case. I suppose the permit was issued in error, but shouldn’t the owners be compensated for any monies spent up until the permit was revoked in 2008? Granted, they likely knew the property was unbuildable when they bought it. But then so should have the Building Department that issued the permit, I would think.
Nothing compared to the BS that went on in Douglas County. I remember when David Pumphry (a county supervisor) purchased the common area/green belt to the Chalet Village subdivision at a tax sale (should have never been taxed) then sold it to the forest service.