Latest news with #RickPolizzi
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Government Goons Destroy Tree House
A Los Angeles homeowner has conceded defeat in his fight against the city to keep a tree house on his property. After seven years and more than $50,000 spent on legal fees and permits, the battle ended this weekend with a demolition crew. The tree house, which was built and owned by The Simpsons producer Rick Polizzi, was a staple of the Sherman Oaks neighborhood for 24 years. The structure was three stories tall and inspired by the show's "Treehouse of Horror" episodes. Originally built for his daughters, it eventually evolved into a centerpiece for a family-friendly, light-up Halloween display called Boney Island open to the community. In 2017, a neighbor complained about the large crowds of children accumulating during the 10-day Halloween event. The city shut down the Boney Island attraction—which Polizzi later revived and turned into a fundraiser at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum—and cited Polizzi for the tree house's permit violations. Since the tree house was built around the three sweet gum trees in his front yard and couldn't be moved, Polizzi began applying for the necessary permits to keep it for all to enjoy. Bringing the tree house into compliance was no simple task. Polizzi tells Reason that while he had secured the necessary zoning permit for the tree house—a feat in and of itself—he'd been unable to obtain a building permit from the L.A. Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). While one would think it'd make sense to permit the structure as a tree house or play structure, Polizzi says that the LADBS took a strict stance, ruling that the roughly 120-square-foot tree house instead had to meet the arduous requirements for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Los Angeles defines an ADU as "an attached or detached residential dwelling unit that provides complete independent living facilities" and must include "permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation." Securing these building permits requires "soil reports, structural designs, Americans With Disabilities Act compliance, and all this stuff that is just kind of absurd" for an existing treehouse that has stood for 25 years with no safety incidences, Paige Gosney, Polizzi's attorney, told The Los Angeles Times. According to Polizzi, meeting the ADU demands would've cost another $50,000 to $80,000 on top of what he had already spent. "It's felt like a strong-arm tactic meant to get me to buckle." Despite ongoing good faith efforts to comply with the city's regulations, Polizzi was criminally charged with four misdemeanors by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office in 2020 for the tree house's noncompliance. Unable to move forward with renovations, he applied for a permit waiver in April 2024 but never heard back from the city. Stuck in limbo without an accepted or denied waiver, Polizzi's last hope was for the misdemeanor charges to be dropped. However, with a fast-approaching trial date and an unrelenting city attorney threatening to force Polizzi to pay court costs and legal fees, he could no longer justify the increasing costs of fighting to keep the tree house—even with the 6,000 neighbors rallying in support. Polizzi ultimately decided to pay to have the tree house taken down on March 9 and "stop the bleeding." "It's been up 24 years, never had an incident once. So, it's just sad," Polizzi said during an interview with NBCLA hours before the demolition crew arrived. "It's a shame that a city built on creativity can't make some concessions." Polizzi tells Reason that since the tree house was taken down, he's gotten a lot of media attention. "I didn't want all this attention," he says, "I just wanted to keep the tree house I built for my daughters. But I guess this has really struck a nerve with people about government overreach." Once this chapter is finally closed, Polizzi says he plans to leave California and may even take Boney Island with him. "I want nothing to do with this city anymore." The post Government Goons Destroy Tree House appeared first on
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Demolition of The Simpsons-inspired treehouse in front of L.A. home begins
Much to the dismay of Rick Polizzi, the demolition of the large 'The Simpsons'-inspired treehouse in front of his Los Angeles home began Saturday. Polizzi, a former producer on the beloved animated series, told KTLA 5's Andy Riesmeyer late last month that the structure became a community staple and gathering spot for children in his Sherman Oaks neighborhood. Officials and nearby residents, however, aren't as fond of the treehouse; legal challenges over permits and zoning have threatened its future. According to Polizzi, he built the treehouse 24 years ago and spent nearly a third of that time in a legal dispute that cost him $50,000 to defend and even led to criminal charges after a neighbor complained about the increased attention the treehouse was drawing. It's a 'confirmed hatch': Big Bear bald eagles welcome 3rd chick After going to pre-trial at the beginning of the year, Polizzi came to an unfortunate conclusion: it was time to give up. 'We went to pre-trial [in January, and] it was just so frustrating,' he told KTLA in February. 'We did not get to have our say…When we left, I just said 'I'm not going back to this trial. We'll tear it down so that the case gets dismissed.'' KTLA 5's Carlos Herrera spoke to Polizzi on Saturday as the first parts of the treehouse were being taken down, and he said the process of watching nearly a quarter century's worth of memories be removed piece by piece was 'tough.' 'I wanted it to look nice, fit in the neighborhood and be aesthetically pleasing,' he said. 'I wanted it to bring people together, so we were always out here inviting people to come over and see it.' 'We got big crowds,' he continued. 'We were a victim of our own success.' Watch the moon turn red during a total lunar eclipse in March Polizzi and his family aren't the only ones who are grieving the loss of the iconic structure; one woman told KTLA that she, like many others who live in the area, spent countless years visiting the treehouse, especially on Halloween. 'My son is 39 years old and we used to come here every Halloween in preparation for the big holiday,' she said. 'With everything going on in the world right now, you have to figure out [a way to keep the treehouse up]…this is joy for our neighborhood. I am in mourning today.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Simpsons' producer's epic tree house may get the ax after 'absurd' fight with city
An epic treehouse that has stood in Sherman Oaks for 24 years now teeters on the brink of destruction after the city of L.A. declared the whimsical creation a crime. "The Simpsons" producer Rick Polizzi built the treehouse, dubbed Boney Island, in his front yard as a playhouse for his daughters. He says it's become a quirky local landmark loved by the neighborhood children and visited by celebrities such as Halle Berry, Christina Aguilera and Will Ferrell. But the city says it runs afoul of building permit requirements and has pursued criminal charges against him. For the last eight years, Polizzi has fought to keep the three-story structure standing, spending more than $50,000 on legal fees and zoning permits. Now, with a trial looming in March, Polizzi is preparing to tear it down rather than spend thousands more defending it in court. News of the tree house's imminent demolition has been met with public outcry; more than 6,000 people have signed a petition to try to save it. "If nothing happens in the next few days, that [demolition] is what's going to happen," Polizzi told The Times. "I'm not spending another $30,000 in court for a silly tree house. I know it means a lot to everybody, but I've got to stop the bleeding." Polizzi, a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer, built the structure with the help of fellow "Simpsons" producer Michael Mahan. Polizzi said it quickly became a favorite gathering spot in Sherman Oaks and, on Halloween, attracted thousands of visitors as part of an annual Boney Island display. Many of its fans are now speaking up to try to save it. "In all the deep sadness we have felt in the city plagues by fires and fears, you can't let this beautiful magical tree house, which brings so many people insane amounts of joy, stay?" wrote actor Missi Pyle in an Instagram post addressed to City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents Sherman Oaks. Raman said her office had worked hard with Polizzi and city departments in the past to try to save "this beloved staple of the Sherman Oaks community." "Our goal has always been to find a pathway to preserve the Treehouse, which has brought so much joy to neighbors and our office is willing to continue that work in cooperation with Mr. Polizzi," the council member said in a statement shared with The Times. The quirky structure is sandwiched among three gum trees and features a secret door, indoor bar, tiki torches, hammock, and rope-and-pulley system for hoisting up supplies. The L.A. Department of Building and Safety filed a code enforcement violation against Polizzi in 2017 on account of the tree house lacking building permits. The city then filed misdemeanor charges against him in 2020, which he has been trying to get dismissed ever since. A spokesperson for the Department of Building and Safety did not respond to a list of questions on how the structure could be brought into compliance, noting only that the case is with the city attorney's office. A spokesperson for City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto did not respond to a request for comment. The tree house has been featured in television shows "America's Got Talent" and "Treehouse Masters" as well as in a Make-a-Wish Foundation advertisement. Its fantastical design inspired an episode of "The Simpsons" where the animated family rebuilds their backyard playhouse after a fire. Former L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and his daughter have visited the tree-top hang, Polizzi said. But despite the history, Polizzi says he's ready to give up the fight. After a pretrial conference went poorly this month, Polizzi said he lacks the financial and emotional stamina to battle the city with no guarantee of prevailing at his upcoming March trial. "It [pretrial] was just kind of infuriating. We didn't get to have our say on anything," he said. "The city attorney said they're not dropping the criminal case. It's either get all these permits or tear it down completely." His attorney, Paige Gosney, is dismayed by how the situation has unfolded. "It's an iconic structure in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood that's going to be gone for no reason other than bureaucracy run wild," he said. Gosney said he had worked closely with Polizzi to try to bring the structure into compliance with city building codes, a process that he says has proved to be a Herculean task. They were able to secure zoning permits in 2023 but have since found it impossible to secure building permits from the Department of Building and Safety given the stark differences between a tree house built for outdoor play and a single-family residence built for indoor dwelling. "Staff wanted soil reports, structural designs, Americans With Disabilities Act compliance and all this stuff that is just kind of absurd," said Gosney. "At the end of the day, this is a tree house, and it's an existing tree house that has been there for almost 30 years." Polizzi said he was willing to pursue the building permit process but balked at the fact that it would cost him thousands of dollars to have an architect draw up designs for a structure he had already built. He ultimately never submitted a building permit application. He did submit an application to the Department of Building and Safety for a waiver from the building permit requirement in April 2024, and says he hasn't heard back since. Polizzi said the city paid little attention to his tree house for the first 16 years of its existence, until a neighbor complained about the massive crowds the Halloween events were attracting in 2017. After the city was aware of the structure, it issued a code enforcement violation, he added. Polizzi said to avoid complaints about crowds, he relocated the Boney Island spectacle to Griffith Park and later to the Museum of Natural History, where it currently serves as an annual fundraising event. He maintains that the tree house is structurally sound and secured from potential intruders or squatters with multiple locking gates. "We've never had any problems in 24 years," he said. "We didn't lose a single shingle in the last windstorm we had with all the fires." Gosney, the attorney, said there are two pathways to saving the tree house — the city attorney's office could drop the case, or the Department of Building and Safety could approve the building permit waiver. "The whole thing is absurd," he said. "It is literally just a tree house. Let's use some common sense." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Simpsons' producer's epic tree house may get the ax after ‘absurd' fight with city
An epic treehouse that has stood in Sherman Oaks for 24 years now teeters on the brink of destruction after the city of L.A. declared the whimsical creation a crime. 'The Simpsons' producer Rick Polizzi built the treehouse, dubbed Boney Island, in his front yard as a playhouse for his daughters. He says it's become a quirky local landmark loved by the neighborhood children and visited by celebrities such as Halle Berry, Christina Aguilera and Will Ferrell. But the city says it runs afoul of building permit requirements and has pursued criminal charges against him. For the last eight years, Polizzi has fought to keep the three-story structure standing, spending more than $50,000 on legal fees and zoning permits. Now, with a trial looming in March, Polizzi is preparing to tear it down rather than spend thousands more defending it in court. News of the tree house's imminent demolition has been met with public outcry; more than 6,000 people have signed a petition to try to save it. 'If nothing happens in the next few days, that [demolition] is what's going to happen,' Polizzi told The Times. 'I'm not spending another $30,000 in court for a silly tree house. I know it means a lot to everybody, but I've got to stop the bleeding.' Polizzi, a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer, built the structure with the help of fellow 'Simpsons' producer Michael Mahan. Polizzi said it quickly became a favorite gathering spot in Sherman Oaks and, on Halloween, attracted thousands of visitors as part of an annual Boney Island display. Many of its fans are now speaking up to try to save it. 'In all the deep sadness we have felt in the city plagues by fires and fears, you can't let this beautiful magical tree house, which brings so many people insane amounts of joy, stay?' wrote actor Missi Pyle in an Instagram post addressed to City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents Sherman Oaks. Raman said her office had worked hard with Polizzi and city departments in the past to try to save 'this beloved staple of the Sherman Oaks community.' 'Our goal has always been to find a pathway to preserve the Treehouse, which has brought so much joy to neighbors and our office is willing to continue that work in cooperation with Mr. Polizzi,' the council member said in a statement shared with The Times. The quirky structure is sandwiched among three gum trees and features a secret door, indoor bar, tiki torches, hammock, and rope-and-pulley system for hoisting up supplies. The L.A. Department of Building and Safety filed a code enforcement violation against Polizzi in 2017 on account of the tree house lacking building permits. The city then filed misdemeanor charges against him in 2020, which he has been trying to get dismissed ever since. A spokesperson for the Department of Building and Safety did not respond to a list of questions on how the structure could be brought into compliance, noting only that the case is with the city attorney's office. A spokesperson for City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto did not respond to a request for comment. The tree house has been featured in television shows 'America's Got Talent' and 'Treehouse Masters' as well as in a Make-a-Wish Foundation advertisement. Its fantastical design inspired an episode of 'The Simpsons' where the animated family rebuilds their backyard playhouse after a fire. Former L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and his daughter have visited the tree-top hang, Polizzi said. But despite the history, Polizzi says he's ready to give up the fight. After a pretrial conference went poorly this month, Polizzi said he lacks the financial and emotional stamina to battle the city with no guarantee of prevailing at his upcoming March trial. 'It [pretrial] was just kind of infuriating. We didn't get to have our say on anything,' he said. 'The city attorney said they're not dropping the criminal case. It's either get all these permits or tear it down completely.' His attorney, Paige Gosney, is dismayed by how the situation has unfolded. 'It's an iconic structure in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood that's going to be gone for no reason other than bureaucracy run wild,' he said. Gosney said he had worked closely with Polizzi to try to bring the structure into compliance with city building codes, a process that he says has proved to be a Herculean task. They were able to secure zoning permits in 2023 but have since found it impossible to secure building permits from the Department of Building and Safety given the stark differences between a tree house built for outdoor play and a single-family residence built for indoor dwelling. 'Staff wanted soil reports, structural designs, Americans With Disabilities Act compliance and all this stuff that is just kind of absurd,' said Gosney. 'At the end of the day, this is a tree house, and it's an existing tree house that has been there for almost 30 years.' Polizzi said he was willing to pursue the building permit process but balked at the fact that it would cost him thousands of dollars to have an architect draw up designs for a structure he had already built. He ultimately never submitted a building permit application. He did submit an application to the Department of Building and Safety for a waiver from the building permit requirement in April 2024, and says he hasn't heard back since. Polizzi said the city paid little attention to his tree house for the first 16 years of its existence, until a neighbor complained about the massive crowds the Halloween events were attracting in 2017. After the city was aware of the structure, it issued a code enforcement violation, he added. Polizzi said to avoid complaints about crowds, he relocated the Boney Island spectacle to Griffith Park and later to the Museum of Natural History, where it currently serves as an annual fundraising event. He maintains that the tree house is structurally sound and secured from potential intruders or squatters with multiple locking gates. 'We've never had any problems in 24 years,' he said. 'We didn't lose a single shingle in the last windstorm we had with all the fires.' Gosney, the attorney, said there are two pathways to saving the tree house — the city attorney's office could drop the case, or the Department of Building and Safety could approve the building permit waiver. 'The whole thing is absurd,' he said. 'It is literally just a tree house. Let's use some common sense.'
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Los Angeles homeowner says City is making him tear down massive treehouse
A legal showdown is brewing over a massive tree house in Sherman Oaks, known for its whimsical design inspired by an episode of 'The Simpsons.' The treehouse, built 24 years ago by Rick Polizzi, a former producer on the beloved animated series, became a community staple and a gathering spot for neighborhood children. But despite its popularity with neighborhood kids, legal challenges by the city of Los Angeles over permits and zoning have threatened the landmark's future. 'They said I don't have the right permit for it, but I've been trying to make the treehouse legal forever,' Polizzi said. 'The city's just not having it.' The legal troubles began when a neighbor complained about the increased attention the treehouse was drawing, sparking a seven-year legal dispute that has cost Polizzi $50,000 to defend and even led to criminal charges. The headache, Polizzi says, has finally convinced him to throw in the towel. 'We went to the pre-trial last month. It was just so frustrating. We did not get to have our say,' Polizzi said. 'When we left, I just said, 'I'm not going back to this trial. We'll tear it down so that the case gets dismissed.'' The family held an informal farewell for the treehouse on Saturday, preparing for its potential demolition this week. But as of Tuesday, it's still standing. Polizzi tells KTLA that his local city councilmember reached out to express interest in saving the structure, but he remains skeptical. 'They said the same thing to me last year, and nothing came of it,' he said. As the treehouse's fate hangs in the balance, its future dependent on the same bureaucracy trying to tear it down, Polizzi hopes that city leaders will recognize the treehouse for its cultural contribution to the city where he's laid his roots. 'This is a town built on creativity. It embraces it. It just seems like you would want to keep things like this up,' said Polizzi. Discussions with the city to save the treehouse remain ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
