8779 South Hobart Boulevard breaks my heart.
It's a cute Spanish charmer, built in 1930. The rest of the 8700 block looks neat and tidy, but not poor little 8779.
The house was abated way back in 2008, and the initial code enforcement complaint is from 2004. It's fenced off and boarded up.
You see, the home's owner died. I'm not sure when; I couldn't find a record of her death online. (Rest in peace, Mrs. Toussaint.)
I did find some probate court records from two years ago. Probate court is a ridiculously lengthy pain in the ass (trust me, it is), and any heirs most likely have their hands tied until and unless probate ends (the case is pending, and has been for a long time).
So Mrs. Toussaint's cute little house has probably been empty for at least 20 years. And to add insult to injury, it's fire-damaged and according to LADBS, "open to unauthorized entry and repeatedly used by vagrants, vandals, gang members or for other illegal activity without the owner’s permission or consent, a public nuisance." Here's the full list of code enforcement complaints.
The city might tear it down. What a shame that would be.
If any homeowners are reading this: please call an estate lawyer if you haven't already. Make an estate plan that bypasses probate so your heirs don't have to deal with a house they can't sell for a year or more. I couldn't tell you the exact particulars of the linked probate case, but trust me, you do NOT want to put your loved ones through probate court.
About C.C. de Vere
C.C. de Vere is a fourth-generation Angeleno. She is horrified at what greed and hubris are doing to Los Angeles.
This website was built by her preservation pals at Esotouric.
