The former “Simpsons” producer says he was forced to destroy his beloved tree house in his LA home over the weekend due to city officials and troublesome neighbors.
Three-time Emmy Award winner Rick Polizzi told the post that he spent eight years and $50,000 to bring the family's quirky trees to the code. However, after being blocked every turn, he threw a towel and was removed on Saturday – ready to move due to a nightmare in the Cafcask.
“After all this treehouse stuff, I'm completely burned out in cities and politics,” he says, adding that he's likely to sell his Sherman Oaks to his home and return to his hometown of New Orleans.
“I'm tired of rat racing here,” Polizzi said. “I want to go outside because the mice are winning.”
The former producer, who worked for “The Simpsons,” waving a white flag over the weekend, took the crew, and demolished a cartoon-inspired treehouse to avoid the appearance of Criminal Court on Wednesday after countless attempts at compliance.
Polizzi and “Simpsons” producer Michael Mahan built a four-storey structure in 2001 that caught the eye of Polizzi's two daughters. The treehouse was equipped with a clubhouse, a tikibar and a mountain observation deck of the Crow's nest, and sat among three sturdy gum trees.
“The town was built on the creativity and entertainment industry, so you'd think they'd embrace this,” Polizzi said.
But 24 years later, the creative and architectural feats lie in the local landfill.
Polizzi's despicable ordeal with the city began in 2017. It's when a neighbour on the lush San Fenand Valley outskirts complained about the crowds of spectators on the annual “Bonnie Island” Halloween lights and decorative displays.
The complaint resulted in a code enforcement violation against Polizzi.
Polizzi's lawyer, Paige Gosney, told the Post that despite efforts to address the city's complaints, the company was unable to resolve the notification of violation, leading to misdemeanor crimes against Polizzi in 2020.
Polizzi eventually moved his Halloween haunt to a nearby park and later moved to the city's Natural History Museum as a fundraiser. But the City of Angels continued his crusade against his wooden house, Gosny said.
The city was confused as to whether to treat it as a residential or commercial structure, despite it being neither, and that the city resided on legal human lands.
The situation then became a case of the office of City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, saying that criminal charges against Polizzi could not be dismissed without action from the LA Building Safety Bureau or LADBS, the lawyer said. And LADBS did not clear the structure due to pending criminal matters, Gosney said.
“It's like a snake eating itself,” Gosney said of the complicated process. “For four years, we've worked with the buildings and safety departments to try and understand what they need to legalize the structure, but every time Polizis goes to the city to meet staff, they'll meet without answering.”
Meanwhile, LADBS has long been calling for soil testing to assess wooden home stability, structural design and plans for potential Americans with disabilities.
“It's a shame that this creativity is crushed in the same way that it forces the work from here,” Polizzi said. The departure of the filming project From Hollywood this year, he has supported New York, New Jersey, Georgia and other countries outside of the US.
However, the former animation producer said he was not surprised that Hollywood is no longer a creativity and film premier hub.
“Boy, California isn't business-friendly. It's regulations, paperwork, taxes,” Polizzi said. “We understand why the production is leaving town, but it will affect all citizens who have come here because of their dream of entering the entertainment industry.
A representative for city lawyer Soto declined to comment on the posts regarding the pending lawsuit, while an LADBS representative did not reply to a request for comment. Neither Polizzi's neighbors responded to queries for posts either.
“I'm kidding,” Polizzi said.
“The city said they would come after me for their court fees, that was a bully's tactic,” he said. “I'm not going to go to court another $20,000 to $30,000 if I don't have any guarantees I can keep it up. I had to stop the bleeding.”
Polizzi said he hopes California wildfire victims don't have to endure the LADBS deficit and bureaucracy he handled.
“The city is promoting the permitting process so people can start construction again and make it a one-stop shop,” he said.
“However, for almost two years I couldn't answer any questions about treehouses in the department.
“If fire victims have to pass a tenth of what we deal with, they are in a world of trouble so we hope the city can bring it together as the fire victims have been fully experienced,” Polizzi said.
