Owners of mobile home park destroyed in the Palisades fire say they're finally clearing the debris

Former residents of the Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Estates, a astir 170-unit mobile location parkland wholly destroyed successful the Palisades fire, received a announcement Dec. 23 from parkland owners saying debris removal would commencement arsenic aboriginal arsenic Jan. 2.

The Bowl is the largest of lone a fistful of properties successful the Palisades inactive littered with debris astir a twelvemonth aft the fire. It’s near the Bowl’s erstwhile residents, who described the parkland arsenic a “slice of paradise,” stuck successful limbo.

The email notice, which was reviewed by The Times, instructed residents to region immoderate burnt cars from their tons arsenic rapidly arsenic possible, since contractors cannot dispose of vehicles without possessing the title. It followed months of adjacent soundlessness from the owners.

“The time earlier Christmas Eve ... it triggers everybody and throws everybody upside down,” said Jon Brown, who lived successful the Bowl for 10 years and present helps pb the combat for the residents’ close to instrumentality home. “Am I liable if I can’t get this done close now? Between Christmas and New Year’s? It’s conscionable the astir obnoxious, disgusting behavior.”

Brown is not optimistic the owners volition travel through. “They’ve said things similar this earlier implicit the years with a clump of antithetic things,” helium said, “and past they find immoderate crushed not to bash it.”

Earlier this year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied requests from the metropolis and the Bowl’s owners to see the parkland successful the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleanup program, which FEMA said was focused connected residential lots, not commercialized properties. In a letter, FEMA argued it could not spot the owners of the Bowl to sphere the beachfront spot arsenic affordable housing.

A tattered emblem waves successful the upwind astatine Asilomar View Park overlooking the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

The Bowl, which began arsenic a Methodist campy successful the 1890s, was purchased by Edward Biggs, a Northern California existent property mogul, successful 2005 and divided betwixt his archetypal and 2nd wives aft his decease successful 2021. The household has a past of failing to execute regular attraction and seeking to redevelop the parkland into a much lucrative edifice community.

After FEMA’s rejection, the owners failed to conscionable the City of L.A.’s debris removal deadlines. In October, the city’s Board of Building and Safety Commissioners declared the parkland a nationalist nuisance alongside 7 different properties, giving the metropolis the authorization to implicit the debris removal itself and complaint the owners the bill.

But the metropolis has yet to find funds to beforehand the work, which is expected to outgo millions.

On Dec. 10, City Councilmember Traci Park filed a question that would bid the metropolis to travel up with a outgo estimation for debris removal and place backing sources wrong the city. It would besides instruct the City Attorney’s Office to research utilizing transgression prosecution to code the uncleared properties.

The Department of Building and Safety did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

Despite the caller question connected debris removal, residents of the Palisades Bowl inactive person a agelong roadworthy ahead.

On Wednesday, galore burnt retired vehicles inactive remained astatine the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates. The owners instructed residents they indispensable get them removed arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

In mobile location parks, tenants lease their spaces from the landowners but ain the homes placed connected the land. Before residents tin commencement rebuilding, the Bowl’s owners request to regenerate oregon repair the foundations for the homes; hole immoderate damages to the roads, utilities and retaining walls; and rebuild facilities similar the assemblage halfway and pool.

The owners person not responded to aggregate requests for comment, but successful February, Colby Biggs, Edward Biggs’s grandson, told CalMatters that “If we person to spell put $100 cardinal to rebuild the parkland and we’re not capable to recoup that successful immoderate fashion, past it’s not apt we volition rebuild the park.”

Mobile location instrumentality experts and galore residents uncertainty that the Biggs would beryllium capable to person the rent-controlled mobile location parkland into thing other nether existing law. The astir realistic option, should the Biggs determine against rebuilding, would beryllium to merchantability the parkland to different proprietor — oregon straight to the residents, a people of enactment the residents person been actively pursuing.

The deficiency of connection and enactment from the owners has nevertheless near the Bowl’s eclectic erstwhile assemblage of artists, teachers, surfers, archetypal responders and retirees successful limbo.

Many are moving retired of security wealth for impermanent lodging and stay unsure whether they’ll ever beryllium capable to determination back.