Hadid’s Lawyers, L.A. City Attorney Again Meet In Private In 901 Strada Vecchia Case

September 16, 2016

Hadid’s Lawyers, L.A. City Attorney Again Meet In Private In 901 Strada Vecchia Case

By Matt Lopez

As hearings continue to be held away from the public, there is a growing concern among homeowners in Bel-Air that celebrity developer Mohamed Hadid might be allowed to skate on his criminal charges regarding Bel-Air’s 901 Strada Vecchia. The nearly 30,000-square-foot megamansion has been before the L.A. City Attorney for about a year, after the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety cracked down on the project and revoked its permits after finding illegal work was done without permit, and that ‘stop work’ orders were repeatedly violated. Hadid was ordered to tear down the mansion, and is facing criminal misdemeanor charges with the L.A. City Attorney. At the most recent hearing in the case, on Sept. 8, Judge Eric Harmon once again met with attorneys for both sides in the court’s chambers, so the public could not hear what was being discussed. Although Hadid in June was denied a “pretrial diversion” request, sources close to the case tell the Courier that a both sides are currently discussing the possibility of plea bargain, which would allow the home’s developer to escape without a criminal conviction and could send a message to other developers in Bel-Air and surrounding areas that the “ask for forgiveness, not permission” method of construction won’t be punished in Los Angeles. The next hearing in the case is set for October 13, and it is not known if that hearing will be held inside chambers or whether it will be open to the public. L.A. City Attorney spokesperson Frank Mateljan did not return a request for comment before Thursday’s deadline.