SAN DIEGO – A La Jolla man who keeps a giant hut in his front yard must remove it or face a hefty fine.
Last week, a hearing officer for the city of San Diego ruled that Nasser Pirasteh has 60 days to remove the roughly 10-foot-tall hut called “From In Out.” The city ruled that the piece is not a sculpture, but an unauthorized structure without a permit.
Pirasteh was initially ordered to remove the structure back in May, when fines started to accrue. However, at the time he requested an administrative hearing and the order was delayed.
Pirasteh told 10News Monday that he is still processing the decision and is unsure how he will proceed.
In May, code enforcement officers told Pirasteh could keep the roughly four-ton piece if he moved it a few feet away from the street and paid a discounted fine of $5,000, plus administrative costs. He refused the deal.
"This is emotion," Pirasteh told 10News at the time. "This is not a code or this is not a cinder block building."
Once the 60-day moratorium is up, fines will accrue daily up to a maximum amount of $250,000 until the hut is removed.
