Gigi Hadid's father Mohamed to face criminal charges over Bel Air palace

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Mohamed Hadid will have to answer to the courts over 901 Strada Vecchia
Neighbor Joseph Horacek claims the LA mansion violates regulations
House nicknamed the Starship Enterprise is 67ft over city's height limit
City revoked Hadid's property permits and ordered work to stop last year
Jennifer Aniston has led protests against the so-called gigamansions
Wealthy residents claim they violate privacy and bring noise to the area

Published: 18:02 EST, 10 July 2015 | Updated: 05:16 EST, 11 July 2015

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His sprawling giga-mansions in Bel Air have angered some of the wealthiest names in Hollywood, prompting lawsuits and countless feuds with wealthy neighbors.

But multimillionaire developer Mohamed Hadid is now facing criminal charges, because a 30,000-square-foot palace he's been working on allegedly violates property regulations.

The ex-husband of Real Housewife of Beverly Hills' Yolanda Foster and the father of model Gigi Hadid will have to answer to the courts after entertainment attorney Joseph Horacek, who lives next door, filed a complaint.

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Set to go to court: Multimillionaire develope Mohamed Hadid (pictured left with his model daugher Gigi) is facing criminal charges, because a 30,000-square-foot palace he's been working on in Bel Air violates property regulations

Enormous: At 103 feet tall, 901 Strada Vecchia in Los Angeles stands 67 feet above Los Angeles's 36-foot height limit, and has been nicknamed the Starship Enterprise by fuming neighbors

At 103 feet tall, it stands 67 feet above Los Angeles's 36-foot height limit, and has been nicknamed the Starship Enterprise by fuming neighbors.

After the city investigated the enormous 901 Strada Vecchia in Los Angeles, they revoked Hadid's permits and ordered him to cease work last year.

They said the construction had been unapproved and asked that he remove features including a retaining wall, concrete decks and an underground theater.

However he refused, and carried on with the project relentlessly, infuriating residents further.

On Friday David Lara, Assistant Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, told the Beverly Hills Courier the case had been accepted for criminal prosecution.

A preliminary hearing is set for early August, with Hadid facing misdemeanor construction charges.

The rise in enormous properties - some of which cover a whopping 90,000-square-feet, has prompted protests from the likes of Jennifer Aniston.

They claim that the giga-mansions are creating noise in the area, invading their privacy, and endangering their homes by destabilizing the hillside.

Angry residents: Hadid will have to answer to the courts after entertainment attorney Joseph Horacek (left), who lives next door, filed a complaint about the property (pictured on the hillside)

They have been complaining to city officials - and have even set up a homeowners' alliance - in a bid to put a stop to the ostentatious developments.

Aniston, 46, whose $21million Bel Air mansion - which she shares with her fiancé Justin Theroux - covers a fewer 8,500 square feet, told officials that the 'very idea that a building of 90,000 square feet can be called a home' seems 'at the least a significant distortion of building code', ABC reported.

Horacek said: 'I feel the privacy is completely and totally gone.'

In an interview with the New York Times, the prolific developer added: '[Hadid's] violated just about every regulation that applies.'

To construct the property, which will feature two wine cellars and an infinity pool when completed, Hadid has excavated enormous amounts of soil from the hillside surrounding Horacek's home.

This has left the attorney concerned that the giga-mansion could end up 'crumbling' on top of his own house.

Hadid has also faced a lawsuit from Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie, claims a wall at the sprawling Los Angeles property being developed by multi-millionaire Mohamed Hadid has 'cut the roots to the family's cherished eucalyptus tree, causing it severe damage and putting it at risk of falling over.'

Record price: Last year, the Palazzo di Amore (pictured), which Hadid built with the aid of architect Bob Ray Offenhauser and designer Alberto Pint, went on the market for a staggering $195million - making it the most expensive house publicly listed for sale in the U.S

According to a summary judgement filed to the company, obtained by the Courier, LW Partnership contends the home's designer Mohamed Hadid's company 'with full knowledge of the boundry line between the parties' properties, nevertheless constructed a wall that stands at least 100 feet on the neighboring family's property without the family's consent.

'In the process, his company cut the roots to the family's cherished eucalyptus tree, causing it severe damage and putting it at risk of falling over.'

Hadid's attorney, Bruce Rudman, insists the new wall has been built in exactly the same place as the old one.

He said: 'We have an arborist who says the tree is thriving, and at one point in time was suffering from the drought.

Sprawling: The villa features more than 35,000 square feet of living space, including an entertainment complex and a ballroom (pictured)

'This isn't about money. This is about principle. The wall serves the land much better than little piece of land they are complaining about.'

According to Nightline, Hadid himself lives in a 50,000-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills with a ballroom, a Turkish bath and a huge infinity pool.

Last year, a gated 25-acre estate, dubbed 'Palazzo di Amore' (Palace of Love), that the developer built with the aid of architect Bob Ray Offenhauser and designer Alberto Pint went on the market for a staggering $195million - making it the most expensive house publicly listed for sale in the U.S..

The sprawling villa features more than 35,000 square feet of living space, including a two-story entrance hall with two sweeping staircases.

It also includes a 15,000-square-foot entertainment complex, complete with a disco/ballroom, a revolving dance floor, a DJ booth and a laser system.

Inside the entertainment area, up to 250 guests can make use of a 50-seat theater, a bowling alley and a game room under hand-painted ceilings.

They can exit the complex via a floating-style, glass-floor pathway, which sits over several swimming pools lined by 70-year-old olive trees.

Famous family: Hadid is the former husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Foster (left) and father of model Gigi (right)

Gigi Hadid looks stunning at Cannes amfAR gala in May

Once outside, residents can swim in a 128-foot reflecting pool, relax in a Turkish-style spa, walk through formal gardens and play on a tennis court.

They can also visit a beautiful vineyard, which produces 400 to 500 cases of wine a year under its own private label, the LA Times reported.

In defense of his current giga-mansion project next to Horacek's home, Hadid said: 'There is a need for it, there are customers asking for it. They want to have a splash, to have 200-300 people at a party, they need to have several bar areas, an outdoor area, something specific that is different.'

But many celebrities and wealthy professionals disagree that the neighborhoods of Beverly Hills and Bel Air 'need' giga-mansions.

Fred Rosen, who built Ticketmaster, recently set up the Bel-Air Homeowners Alliance after witnessing enormous properties spring up around him.

He told Nightline that construction trucks are constantly driving through the exclusive neighborhood, while dirt continues to be dug out of the hillside.

Indeed, the alliance's latest petition, which aims to get two control ordinances passed in the city, reads: 'The excavation and hauling of dirt has been the single largest risk to the health and safety of residents in Bel Air and is endured on a day to day basis on our city streets.

Ongoing battle: After the city investigated the enormous 901 Strada Vecchia in Los Angeles, they revoked Hadid's (pictured with his daughter) permits and ordered him to cease work last year

A grand home: Hadid himself lives in this 50,000-square-foot mansion (pictured) in Beverly Hills with a ballroom and a huge infinity pool

The result of the digging and hauling is that we have literally thousands of unsafe truck trips up and down our narrow streets and roads placing residents in danger.'

Maureen Levinson, who lives down the road from a 90,000-square-foot Bel Air mansion which is still being built, is a member of the alliance. 'There’s wildlife here, and that’s the way Bel Air used to be, very peaceful and quiet,' she told Nightline, comparing the construction trucks to 'freight trains'.

The 90,000 square foot home will be the largest in the neighborhood, with 'a cantilevered tennis court and five swimming pools', according to The Los Angeles Business Journal.

Mr Rosen said this will likely mean up to '200 construction trucks a day' driving through the area in upcoming months.

The property, which was dreamed up by film producer-turned-developer Nile Niami, is expected to sell for around $150million once completed.

Other giga-mansion constructions in Bel Air and Beverly Hills include a 70,000- to 80,000-square-foot Mediterranean estate that is being built for a Qatar national, and plans by Saudi Arabian prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud to erect a massive 85,000-square-foot mansion.

The prince's proposal was immediately met with anger by Bel Air residents, and city officials are currently reviewing it, the Times reported.

Experts believe the boom for giga-mansions began with the 2011 sale of TV producer Aaron Spelling's 56,000-square-feet home for $85million.

They also say only 30 to 40 per cent of giga-mansion buyers are foreign - the majority are either local, rich professionals or stars.

In many cases, McMansions are torn down, so that much bigger, more expensive properties can be built in their place.