NewsBite

Gigi and Bella’s dad, Mohamed Hadid, ordered to tear down mega-mansion

A judge in the US has ordered the father of Gigi and Bella to demolish his so-called Starship Enterprise dwelling – even before it’s half finished.

Gigi and Bella’s dad, Mohamed Hadid, ordered to tear down mega-mansion (CBSLA)

A Los Angeles judge has ordered the father of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid to tear down his controversial $100 million ($A150m) mega-mansion — for being a “danger to the community.”

The half-built 2800 sq m Bel Air pad — dubbed the “Starship Enterprise” — poses a “clear and present” danger to Mohamed Hadid’s neighbours for not being up to code, a judge ruled in LA Superior Court last week, according to TMZ.

“If this house came down the hill it would take a portion of the neighbourhood with it,” said Judge Craig Karlan.

Mohamed Hadid and daughter Bella at the screening of the film Ismael's Ghosts in 2017. Picture: AFP
Mohamed Hadid and daughter Bella at the screening of the film Ismael's Ghosts in 2017. Picture: AFP

Neighbours sued the 71-year-old property tycoon, claiming the hulking house on a hillside was illegally built and unstable.

A structural engineer testified that the piles supporting the huge home were only driven 7m into the bedrock, instead of 10m feet required by building regulations.

“This seems to me to be a clear cut case where the property must come down,” Karlan said, according to the Daily Mail.

“We’re not talking about an extra wall or a different way into the kitchen. We’re talking about the most significant aspect of the structure — the foundation.”

Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid. Picture: Getty
Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid. Picture: Getty

Hadid’s lawyer, Larry Rothstein, told the judge that even though the house doesn’t comply with building codes, it’s still safe and the piles could be retrofitted — but Karlan rejected that argument.

The judge appointed receiver Douglas Wilson to supervise the demolition, which will cost approximately $A7.4m.

Last week, another of Hadid’s attorneys, Bruce Rudman, claimed his client couldn’t afford the demolition. Hadid also can’t afford Wilson’s $A740,000 fee, the lawyers said.

After the judge’s ruling, Hadid told TMZ his house “has not moved a millimeter!”

“It has never been an imminent danger to the neighbours,” he said.

Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid. Picture: Getty
Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid. Picture: Getty

Hadid told the outlet that city inspectors observed construction, which began in 2012, and was angry no one had raised the alarm before he spent millions.

The luxury real estate developer — who has been featured on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alongside ex-wife Yolanda Hadid — is also facing criminal charges for building code violations.

He pleaded no contest and got three years’ probation on the condition he either complies with building regulations or tears the mansion down by April 1, TMZ reported. A hearing in that case is set for December 13.

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/gigi-and-bellas-dad-mohamed-hadid-ordered-to-tear-down-megamansion/news-story/70a0fabf58cb940d50aeb105aa06d801