Mary Cummins Investigative Reporter Los Angeles, California: July 2014

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Old water main bursts near UCLA a block from me. Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, real estate appraiser Los Angeles, California

UCLA burst water main on Sunset, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, Real Estate Appraiser, Los Angeles, California

UCLA water main rupture: Repairs to take 'extended period of time'

UCLA Flood: After Water Main Break, Sunset Blvd. Remains Closed Near Campus

Watch: After water main break, Sunset Boulevard remains closed near UCLA campus

By MATT STEVENS, JOSEPH SERNA contact the reporters UCLALos Angeles Fire DepartmentWater SupplyArthur Ashe

UCLA water main rupture will not be fixed today, @LADWP official says

UCLA water main flooding has 'compromised' Pauley Pavilion wood floor, LAFD says

Sunset Boulevard expected to remain closed today as broken water main is repaired

Repairs to a ruptured water main near UCLA that gushed up to 10 million gallons of water onto Westwood roads as well as the campus will not be completed Wednesday and may take "an extended period of time," a utility official said.

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles, California real estate appraiser

The effort to repair the damaged main is complicated by the 30-inch steel pipe’s location and connection to other valves east of the rupture, said Jeff Bray, general superintendent for water distribution at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

“This leak repair will not be completed today. We’re looking at an extended period of time,” he said.

Until the water main is repaired, the section of Sunset Boulevard from Marymount Place to Westwood Plaza was expected to remain closed, prompting officials to warn commuters to stay away.

“If you don’t have any business in the area, or don’t live in the area, please don’t come close to the closure,” said Los Angeles Department of Transportation spokesman Aram Sahakian.

He urged drivers to use Wilshire Boulevard, or to go as far south as Olympic Boulevard to get around the area.

The rupture occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday underneath Sunset Boulevard near Royce Drive, just uphill from UCLA. The pipe receives its water from the Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir.

The main, which delivers 75,000 gallons a minute, was finally shut down about 7 p.m., officials said.

But by then, water gushing from 15-foot-wide hole that opened up on Sunset had deluged the campus. At one point, the geyser spewed water as high as 30 feet into the air, officials said.

Firefighters helped five people escape two underground parking garages that were flooded with torrents of water. Firefighters searched about 200 cars but found no other victims, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said.

The length of time it took to shut off the water left DWP officials defending their response. Officials said crews worked as quickly as possible to shut down three large-diameter valves, but that they couldn't be closed too quickly because doing so could trigger additional ruptures in the web of water lines that feed the area.

Also, when crews assessed how to repair the main, they discovered two more leaks east of it, Bray said. Until those leaks are stopped, they can’t pull out the ruptured pipe and replace it, he said.

“It’s creating issues for us,” Bray said. “This leak repair will not be completed today. We’re looking at an extended period of time.”

Crews also worked overnight to drain water from the broken pipe, which must be cleared before repairs can begin, a DWP spokesman said.

Meanwhile, UCLA officials said they were still trying to assess the damage to their campus and student property.

Officials said up to 300 cars on campus were partially submerged in water and several hundred more were damaged. In all, six buildings sustained water damage, campus officials said. They were: the Pauley Pavilion, John Wooden and Acosta athletic complexes, the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and parking structures 4 and 7.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jaime Moore said Wednesday that the wood flooring at the pavilion had been "compromised," although complete damage assessment had not been completed.

Workers Tuesday night were using brooms, squeegees, vacuums and floor cleaners to remove the water. As that work was underway, sandbags sat stacked at the service entrance in an effort to hold back water still cascading down the stairs.

Officials estimated the pavilion was submerged in up to 10 inches of water.

As of Wednesday morning, no DWP customers were without water, DWP spokesman Albert Rodriguez said.

Live updates from LA DWP here.
https://twitter.com/LADWP

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

Friday, July 25, 2014

Diego Rivera, Frida Khalo family trees - Mary Cummins, real estate appraiser, los angeles, california, animal advocates

Diego Rivera, Mexican painter, muralist family tree, genealogy, family, wives, children, parents, grandparents. Husband of Frida Khalo, Mexican painter. I have the full tree that goes back farther but I only posted four generations here. Diego Rivera had four children with three different women. He had four wives but only had children with two of them.

Diego Rivera, Frida Khalo, family tree, genealogy, parents, children, grandparents, birth, death, born, died, Mexico, painter, artists, mural

Frida Khalo family tree, genealogy, Mexican painter. I have the full family tree but only posted three generations here. Frida had no children and one husband Diego Rivera.

Diego Rivera, Frida Khalo, family tree, genealogy, parents, children, grandparents, birth, death, born, died, Mexico, painter, artists, mural

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Diane Gail Stretton, Nanny from Hell has a long history of lying and suing people

Diane Gail Stretton, Nanny from Hell, Diane Gail Richardson, vexatious litigant, pro se, indigent

By now everyone has probably heard about the story about Diane Gail Stretton the "Nanny from Hell." She agreed to work as a nanny in exchange for room and board. She was great first two weeks then just stopped working. Now Diane Gail Richardson Stretton is claiming she was abused. This is difficult to believe.

Diane Gail Richardson Stretton born September 7, 1949 is a vexatious litigant in San Diego County. She has sued her mother's (Clara Schmok Richardson 1923 to 2003) and father's (John S Richardson 1922 - 2002) estates and her sisters for more than the last ten years. She keeps losing and keeps appealing. She's also been sued for not paying rent on storage units she illegally put into her name from her dead father. This is why she was intentionally kicked out of the will and probably why her husband divorced her.

Diane Stretton, Diane Gail Richardson, Michael Stretton, Erin Stretton, nanny from hell, divorced, bankrupt, vexatious litigant, john richardson, clara richardson

Search her name and probate, appeal, vexatious...and you can see her long history of abusing the judicial system. Here are her civil cases in only San Diego, County.

Case Number	Party Name Matches	Opposing Party	Case Location	Case Type	Date Filed
SC162976	STRETTON, DIANE	SUNBELT TOWING INC	Kearny Mesa	Civil	05/27/2005
GIN036640	STRETTON, DIANE	CHABALA, JAMES V DR MD	North County	Civil	04/12/2004
37-2014-00300194-SC-SC-NC	STRETTON, DIANE	CALIFORNIA TICKET KING	North County	Civil	01/29/2014
37-2014-00011558-CU-PA-CTL	STRETTON, DIANE	BREVOORT, DARLENE	San Diego	Civil	04/16/2014
GIN018563	STRETTON, DIANE G	RICHARDSON, JOHN	North County	Civil	01/31/2002
SN003513	STRETTON, DIANE GAIL	MILLER, RUSSELL L	North County	Civil	04/07/2000
SC102514	STRETTON, DIANE GAIL	VOGELMANN, MONICA	Kearny Mesa	Civil	04/07/2000
N78435	STRETTON, DIANE GAIL	MILLER, RUSSELL L.	North County	Civil	06/24/1998
GIN034974	STRETTON, DIANE GAIL	FREEBURN, ELIZABETH	North County	Civil	01/13/2004
GIC810354	STRETTON, DIANE GAIL	FREEBURN, SHARON C	San Diego	Civil	05/07/2003
37-2009-00099046-CU-BC-CTL	STRETTON, DIANE GAIL	DOOR TO DOOR STORAGE INC	San Diego	Civil	09/25/2009

Diane Stretton, vexatious litigant, nanny from hell

She has seven more cases in Riverside. She lost them all, i.e. eviction, small claims, probate, eviction...

Photo of her from Garden Grove high school as Diane Gail Richardson her given name.

Diane Gail Stretton, Daine Stretton, nanny from hell, homeless, vexatious litigant

Diane Gail Stretton, Diane Stretton, nanny from hell,

More lawsuits. She filed for bankruptcy but it was dismissed due to failure to prosecute.

Bankruptcy Results
	Party Name	Court	Case	Ch	Date Filed	Date Closed	Disposition

1	Stretton, Diane Claudette (jdb)	mebke	2:09-bk-20144	7	02/06/2009	05/11/2009	Standard Discharge 05/06/2009
2	Stretton, Diane G (db)	cacbke	8:03-bk-15131	7	07/09/2003	09/24/2003	Dismissed for Other Reason 09/03/2003
3	Stretton, Diane Gail (db)	cacbke	8:03-bk-15131	7	07/09/2003	09/24/2003	Dismissed for Other Reason 09/03/2003

Civil Results
	Party Name	Court	Case	NOS	Date Filed	Date Closed

4	Stretton, Diane (pla)	cacdce	5:2009-cv-01709	450	09/08/2009	05/24/2012
5	Stretton, Diane (pla)	cacdce	5:2012-cv-02142	480	12/05/2012
6	Stretton, Diane (cc)	casdce	3:2011-cv-00771	890	04/13/2011	01/25/2012
7	Stretton, Diane (crc)	casdce	3:2011-cv-00771	890	04/13/2011	01/25/2012
8	Stretton, Diane (crd)	casdce	3:2011-cv-00771	890	04/13/2011	01/25/2012
9	Stretton, Diane (dft)	casdce	3:2011-cv-00771	890	04/13/2011	01/25/2012

Last real Ramone "Tommy Ramone" dies of cancer - Mary Cummins, real estate appraiser, Animal Advocates

Tommy Ramone born Thomas Erdelyi (Erdélyi Tamás) January 29, 1952 passed away from cancer July 11, 2014 at the age of 62. He was the last surviving member of the real Ramones. Other people that subsequently played with the band were merely hired musicians. They were never Ramones.

One such person whom I have written about extensively is Richard Reinhardt who still calls himself Richie Ramone. He had major issues with the band demanding tshirt money. He ended up suing the band a few times and losing each lawsuit. In a tiff most likely spurned on by his then wife LA Weekly, LA City Beat writer Annette Stark Richie left the Ramones. He then worked in the hotel industry in Los Angeles, California. To this day Richie is still very bitter about the split. He goes from attacking the Ramones to trying to take credit for most of their work. As you can see from his employment contract in the link below he was never a Ramone. He is still not a Ramone. He was not inducted into the hall of fame with the Ramones.

http://animaladvocateswildliferehabilitation.blogspot.com/2014/02/richard-reinhardt-aka-richie-ramone.html

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Zillow estimates verses actual appraised or sale value - Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser in Los Angeles, California with over 30 years of experience

I was going to do a comparison of my recent appraised value of properties verses the Zillow estimates. I instantly realized that I cannot share my work product with anyone but the client. I then decided to compare Zillow estimates to actual recent sale prices of homes near me.

Ellen DeGeneres' the Brody House at 360 S Mapleton, Los Angeles, CA. Sold few months ago for $35M. Just resold for $50M. Zillow estimate $16M or 68% less than what it sold for.

Gisele Bundchen listed her home at 12780 Chalon, Los Angeles, CA for $50M and it sold for $40M. Zillow estimate $15M or 63% less than what it sold for.

Fleur de Lys at 350 N Carolwood, Los Angeles, CA just sold for $102M. Zillow estimate $27M or 72% less than what it sold for.

Below is a link to all homes for sale in 90077 Bel Air where I live. Notice the listed prices verses Zillow estimates, huge difference. The Zillow-estimate is meaningless.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Los-Angeles-CA-90077/96058_rid/days_sort/34.141433,-118.3885,34.064677,-118.516388_rect/12_zm/0_mmm/

Below is a link to all homes which recently sold in 90077. Again, huge difference. I'm amazed they list the Zillow-estimate which just shows how unreliable it is.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/recently_sold/Los-Angeles-CA-90077/96058_rid/days_sort/34.141433,-118.3885,34.064677,-118.516388_rect/12_zm/

When it comes to higher priced custom homes on custom lots Zillow estimates mean nothing. Zillow takes into consideration the average and mean sales price per square foot of improvement. I don't think it takes into consideration the entire lot size, view, uniqueness or quality of construction and amenities. At best Zillow-estimates might work with average tract homes in average areas.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

Monday, July 7, 2014

Research symposiums, letter of recommendations, awards - Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser Los Angeles, California

Letter of recommendation from Ed Boks, Edward Boks of LA Animal Services.

Ed Boks, Edward Boks, LA Animal Services, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, letter of recommendation

Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce awards banquet.

Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, awards banquet, Mary Cummins, Los Angeles, California

I got two research projects accepted for this undergraduate research presentation. I made two presentations.

Undergraduate research symposium, Mary Cummins, USC, University of Santa Clara

Lette

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

Ellen DeGeneres sells Brody house for $55M for $15M profit - Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser in Los Angeles, California

A few months ago I wrote an article about Ellen DeGeneres buying the Brody House down the street from me. She just sod it for $55M for a quick $15M profit. Here is my original article about the house with photos.

http://marycumminsrealestatemarycummins.blogspot.com/2014/01/ellen-degeneres-just-bought-brody-house.html

"Ellen DeGeneres just flipped the amazing house she bought around New Year's -- after only living there a few months -- and the buyer was Napster co-founder Sean Parker ... who opened his wallet wide.

The Brody House -- yes, the place is so baller it has a name -- was sold to Parker for $55 million ... which means Ellen made a tidy $15 mil profit. She bought it for around $40 million. We're good at math.

We're told Parker approached Ellen and Portia late last month with the offer ... he went nuts over the famous house and Ellen's interior design. We're told even though she never intended to flip the house, she couldn't refuse a good deal. The escrow was all of 8 days. It closed last Thursday.

Ellen and Portia quickly snatched up the entire floor of a condo in Beverly West (fancy schmancy condo near Bev Hills) for $16 mil ... combining two units for new digs. But when they want real space, they'll go to their mega-estate is Santa Barbara."

The units she bought were in Beverly West Residences right down the street at 1200 Club View, Los Angeles, CA

http://beverlywestresidences.com/

Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Mary Cummins, real estate appraiser, Los Angeles, California, Beverly West Residences