Gigi Hadid’s Dad In Trouble For Building Palatial Bel Air Mansion
Sometimes, bigger is not always better. In fact, it could land you into trouble, such as what happened to Gigi Hadid’s dad for building what others describe to be a monster mansion.
Real estate mogul and billionaire Mohamed Hadid, also known as the dad of supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid, found himself in hot water recently for allegedly building his mansion bigger and way beyond what is permitted by law. Naturally, this irked some of his well-heeled neighbors who view the mega-mansion as a danger to the other multi-million dollar properties surrounding it.
Earlier this month, Gigi Hadid’s dad, the 68-year-old real estate billionaire Mohamed, did not attend the May 9 hearing at the L.A. superior court, according to Daily Mail Online. He was represented by well-known lawyer Robert Shapiro, who asked the judge to delay the proceedings until his client could seek the necessary permits and financing to finish the mansion.
However, Judge Eric Harmon ordered the property magnate to stand trial on May 30 to face the charges leveled against him. Mohamed Hadid is facing three charges of violating building codes and ignoring orders to stop construction of the giant mansion. The charges carry a fine of $1,000 each and/or six months of jail time.
Neighbors, who opposed Hadid building on the property, were jubilant that the billionaire has been finally summoned to appear in court. Many of his opponents accuse Hadid of being arrogant and motivated by greed.
New post (Gigi Hadid & Bella Hadid’s Dad Shares A Tour Inside His Incredible Mansion) has been published on Bo… – https://t.co/rh5GXKrXVH pic.twitter.com/k7BjUBNJnz
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“Hadid deserves to go to jail for what he’s done,” neighbor Judith Bedrosian explains. “He’s arrogant — he thinks he’s above all this. He doesn’t even show up for court.”
“This is everything I wanted,” explains 75-year-old neighbor Joe Horacek after the May 9 hearing. “Hadid has ignored every possible code provision. He is motivated by greed and he deserves to be punished for it.”
Joe Horacek, an entertainment lawyer whose clientele includes actor Michael Douglas, voiced concerns for the safety of the occupants of his white stone villa, according to the Telegraph. While impressive in itself, it becomes “relatively modest” when compared to the behemoth looming above it.
Horacek claimed that Hadid built his hilltop mega-mansion way larger than its original approved dimensions. Building inspectors that the council dispatched to the property later discovered that Horacek is correct. Apparently, Mr. Hadid developed the mansion 9,000 square feet larger than what was permitted.
Among the additions include a 70-seat IMAX cinema, which allegedly “perched precariously on the hillside” endangering Mr. Horacek’s property and its occupants below it.
Mohamed Hadid Still Playing Games With His Mega Mansion – https://t.co/d386bflqnn pic.twitter.com/jvHHuRPOG9
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“The way it is now, it is so unsafe, ” Horacek told Daily Mail Online. “We are so afraid that his house will fall on ours that we’ve had to buy a second home in the desert where we spend most of our time now.”
In particular, Horacek is worried about the potentially disastrous effects the heavy El Nino storms in the coming weeks could have on the oversized structure. He added that the mansion was built much higher and larger than the previous engineering and geological work had calculated for. Simply put, the possibility of landslides is greater because ground preparations were never “designed to support something of this size.”
Mr. Hadid’s mega-construction is just one of the many constructions that have united the residents of the Bel Air neighborhood. Lately, the neighborhood has seen a flurry of building activities that have disrupted their once quiet community forcing them to form a new pressure group named the Bel Air Homeowners alliance.
Gigi Hadid’s dad managed to amass a handful of enemies as well as lawsuits. According to Daily Mail Online, there are around 100 lawsuits filed against the billionaire with issues ranging from unpaid debts, and trademark infringement, to allegations of substandard construction.
Expect more explosive news to be heading your way on May 30, when the trial date set by the L.A. judge arrives.
[Feature Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret]
