Below are photographs and commentary on conditions of neglect at 1633 S. Victory Blvd. that have been ongoing since the lot was purchased by Mr. Jayesh Kumar in March/April of 2017.
Upon the lot are many piles of trash. Some of the garbage has been bagged and left to sit, but most is openly dumped. A lot of debris sits along the property line shared with R-1 residential properties to the north on Winchester Ave.
The Applicant claims that he can not clean the lot because he has a squatter tenant in the front portion of the property. However, this seems disingenuous, since the conditions pictured above are not exclusively on that portion of the property nor limited to the visible lot. Additionally, both the tenant and the owner, Mr. Jayesh Kumar, have indicated that the tenant’s removal is not an obstacle since the eviction process has been officially completed, only not implemented. It is also unlikely that anyone occupying the lot has any objection to the removal of unclaimed garbage, or debris resting along the adjacent neighbor’s property.
When a development team member was asked to have the property cleaned, as his responsibility and as a gesture of goodwill to the neighborhood, our request was rejected. The Applicant’s representative cited the cleanup costs involved and their inability to build upon the lot during an appeal of the January 10, 2019 Design Review Board decision. Instead, the neighborhood and those involved in the appeal were offered a correction of the conditions in exchange for their withdrawal of the appeal.
Northern Exposures – a trail of trash
Above: north-west corner. Piles of trash and used tires accumulate. This area of the lot has provided a destination for rodents from the alley, and subsequently an attraction and food source for feral cats throughout the property. Debris rests upon the property line and against the neighbor’s structure creating a fire hazard. Similar conditions to those pictured above exist along the entire north property line, interrupted only by storage sheds along the same line with no setback.
Below: Debris further along the north property line surrounds an adult pecan tree and rests upon the fence of the neighbor (February 1, 2019).
Beyond that tree another line of debris rests upon the neighbor’s fence and extends to a storage shed built abutting the property line (February 1, 2019). Numerous sheds on the property are not secured and provide a refuge and breeding ground for feral cats (which we will address in part 2).
Below: An earlier version of the same line of junk, auto parts, and garbage is featured on page 45, as Photograph 9, in the Applicant’s own Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (August 26, 2016).
You may view or download a copy of that Phase I Environmental Site Assessment report here: 1633VictoryBlvdCC20001Glen.pdf
The Insect Breeding Grounds – Things that swim
Numerous containers have littered the property since it was purchased in 2017. Very often they capture water that allows mosquitoes to breed. The pictures below were taken January 30, 2019 at a time when mosquito activity is reduced due to cooler weather. Conditions like this contributed to the mosquito problem many local Rancho residents faced last summer.
The many used tires upon the property also trap water, creating additional pools for breeding mosquito larvae. As winter passes and warmer weather approaches, mosquito activity will increase posing a greater potential public health hazard. These are NOT conditions that the Applicant can maintain while he awaits the community’s appeal to be heard. And, requiring the community and neighborhood (with a nearby elementary school) to forfeit their right to appeal to have these issues addressed is wholly inappropriate.
The Insect Breeding Grounds – Things that crawl
Below: Opening this access lid on the eastern portion of the lot will reveal a displaced drain plug and a colony of large roaches. They are frequently spotted on the property and adjacent sidewalks at night posing a threat of migration to nearby single family homes and apartments.
Selective Cleanup – for a select audience
These weeds encroached upon the sidewalk for 18 months. They were only removed by the Applicant days before city placement of signs for the January 10, 2019 Design Review Board meeting.
A Time Comparison
Below is a picture of the property in May 2017, about two months after it was purchased by Mr. Kumar.
Below is a picture of the property in December 2018, two months ago.
Neighborhood “outreach” through overgrowth
Below: View from Winchester Ave. (facing Victory Blvd.)
Hibiscus plants encroach upon the sidewalk, inhibit pedestrian use, and block the view of pedestrians approaching on the Victory Blvd. sidewalk. Many neighbors and users of Benjamin Franklin Elementary School navigate around this obstacle daily. Many out with their families or walking dogs have to navigate this obstacle at night. Since the picture below was taken neighbors have had to cut away some of the branches themselves to eliminate safety hazards and to make the sidewalk accessible.
Below: View from Victory Blvd. (facing Winchester Ave.)
Hibiscus plants encroach upon the sidewalk, inhibit pedestrian use, block the view of pedestrians approaching on the Winchester Ave. sidewalk, AND obscure the street sign from the view of pedestrians and oncoming traffic.
As residents of the Rancho, we don’t understand how the presence of a so-called squatter tenant can prevent the Applicant from trimming overgrowth that exists outside of the fenced boundary and is a hazard to public safety. Many of us also don’t understand the Applicant’s position of keeping the neighborhood hostage to these conditions, and those mentioned above, without the forfeiture of our appeal, to which we have a legal right.
Regardless of whether or not he is able to remove items from the property before an eviction (which he claims he is fully capable of executing), he must remove all debris and garbage from along the property line abutting neighbors to the north. Mr. Jayesh Kumar, as the registered owner of the lot, and responsible party, must eliminate conditions on the lot that pose public health hazards, fire hazards, and must remove structures that violate building codes.
When we spoke to a member of the development team we were told that they didn’t “own the lot” per se, since they were unable to take possession of it for the purpose of building. This was offered as a reason for not addressing code violations and health hazards on the lot. This position of neglect was also supported with claims that they couldn’t put more expense into the property while they await their funding approval for development. However, this is just doublespeak intended to conflate the difference between their ability to proceed with their building plans, and their responsibilities as legal owners of the property.
To eliminate the question of who holds ownership and responsibility for this lot, searches on the title were conducted yielding the following results:
Owner Name: 1633 VICTORY BLVD LLC
Mailing Address: 2010 HIGHLAND AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90068
Registration Date: 03/06/2017
Jurisdiction: CALIFORNIA
Entity Type: DOMESTIC
Status: ACTIVE
Agent for Service of Process: JAYESH KUMAR 2010 HIGHLAND AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90068
Entity Address: 2010 HIGHLAND AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90068
Entity Mailing Address: 2010 HIGHLAND AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90068 LLC Management One Manager
An additional search revealed more details and the same conclusion:
From the public records of the LA County Assessors Office.
Currently listed as ownership in an LLC.
Previous legal owner is listed as Jayesh Kumar. Primary Owner: 1633 VICTORY BLVD LLC, Secondary Owner: Mail Address: 13948 MOORPARK ST # 401 SHERMAN OAKS CA 91423 Site Address: 1633 VICTORY BLVD GLENDALE CA 91201 County: LOS ANGELES Assessor Parcel Number: 5626-013-024 Phone: Census Tract: 3016.02 Housing Tract Number: 8589 Lot Number: 22-24 Page Grid: Legal Description: Lot: 22-24 Tract No: 8589 Abbreviated Description: LOT:22-24 TR#:8589 TR=8589 LOTS 22,23 AND 24 Comments: IMP1=COM,3500SF,YB:1966,1STY;IMP2=COM, 1 UNIT,2950SF,YB:1966,1STY;IMP3=COM, 1 UNIT,1630SF,YB:1966,1STY. Property Characteristics Bedrooms : Year Built : 1966 Square Feet : 8,080 SF Bathrooms : Garage : Mixed Lot Size : 20,943 SF Total Rooms : Fireplace : Number of Units : 3 Zoning : GLC3* Pool : Use Code : Parking Lot No of Stories : 1 Latitude : 34.160908 Longitude : -118.299217 Building Style : Sale & Loan Information Transfer Date : 11/19/2018 Seller : KUMAR, JAYESH Transfer Value : N/A Document # : 18-1161543 Cost/Sq Feet : N/A First Loan Amt : N/A Lender : Title Company : STEWART TITLE OF CALIFORNIA Assessment & Tax Information Assessed Value : $2,295,000 Percent Improvement : 2.22% Homeowner Exemption : Land Value : $2,244,000 Tax Amount : $25,375.90 Tax Rate Area : 4-045 Improvement Value : $51,000 Tax Account ID : 2017 Market Improvement Value : Market Land Value : Market Value : Tax Year : 2018
LLC info: 201706610343 1633 VICTORY BLVD, LLC Registration Date: 03/06/2017 Jurisdiction: CALIFORNIA Entity Type: DOMESTIC Status: ACTIVE Agent for Service of Process: JAYESH KUMAR 2010 HIGHLAND AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90068 Entity Address: 2010 HIGHLAND AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90068 Entity Mailing Address: 2010 HIGHLAND AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90068 LLC Management One Manager
Mr. Kumar, clean up this lot!
Please email this blog post to John Brownell, JBrownell@GlendaleCA.gov supervisor, at Glendale Neighborhood Services Div., a part of the Community Development Dept. Or call them at 818-548-3700.
Cc: Yasmine Beers, City Manager at YBeers@GlendaleCA.gov. Refer to PDR-1723012-B approved by the DRB on Jan. 10 and now under APPEAL awaiting City Council agenda.
For additional City contacts, see our post: Contact Glendale City Officials, and a full list of City contact numbers
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UPDATE:
Conditions of neglect that contribute to the breeding of mosquitoes may be reported to:
Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control via their Service Request Form
See their articles:
Mosquito-borne Disease Threats in Los Angeles County (including: West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis (SLE), Zika Virus, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya, Heartworm, Western Equine encephalomyelitis (WEE), Malaria)
More San Fernando Valley Mosquitoes Test Positive for WNV (8/14/2018)
“We are beginning to see the anticipated increase in WNV activity in the region,” said Kelly Middleton, director of community affairs for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District. “Last week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported a total of 6 human infections in the County so far this year, so the time to start taking this seriously is now,” she added.
I agree with your comments above. This is inexcusable. Not to mention the possible rat infestation. I doubt a feral cat community will eliminate a rat problem but may increase a food source for coyotes. The mosquito problem is extremely dangerous and must be addressed. If money is such an object then I may suggest that Mr. Kumar put some gloves on and start cleaning. Enlist the help of his squatter. I live on Riverside close to Winchester. I am 100% opposed to the hotel.
Karin, Due to the large number of cats here – feral and community cats – we see few live rodents. Mostly just parts of rodents when activity is high, their droppings, or abandoned shredded nesting.
The cats have become a VERY large problem (and expense) for us due to their uncontrolled breeding. We have used Pasadena Humane Society and FixNation to help control their reproduction. But we have never been able to catch all of the cats, nor prevent new arrivals (who are usually announced to us with nighttime cat fights).
And in some cases the cats have become a food source for coyotes. Young kittens, and sometimes fresh litters have been consumed by other predators, such as owls and even raccoons (when the kittens are small enough).
Neighbors who take pity on the hungry cats occupying the lot feed them via the alley, and exacerbate the problem by encouraging breeding of those that I have not been able to trap for spay/neuter (a process that has consumed a lot of my time). In fact, it would be relatively effortless for Mr. Kumar and company to place signs on the lot to discourage feeding.
Though we prevented pooling and stagnant water around our home, the mosquito infestation of last summer was still horrible. During those months the daily bites and the discomfort associated with them became the norm. Many neighbors around the lot complained of the problem among each other, but nobody investigated the lot for mosquito breeding grounds (that I’m aware of).
I don’t believe money is stopping the owner from cleaning the lot. As one who owns hotels, he should have enough petty funds to hire a cleaning crew to fill a couple dumpsters. However, one of his representatives thought it a better strategy to use the refusal of clean up as a motivator for the withdraw of the appeal. And the squatter HAS done a significant amount of cleanup work for Mr. Kumar at no charge since he sold much of the metal on the lot to a scrapper for his own personal gain.