Owner of whimsical Flintstone House plans to fight lawsuit from neighbors who call it an 'eyesore'
It’s going to take more than the filing of a lawsuit to make the owner of a house inspired by ’60s primetime animated series The Flintstones remove the 15-foot dinosaur statues and a “Yabba Dabba Do” sign from her yard.
The town of Hillsborough, Calif., is suing Florence Fang in California Superior Court in order to get some of the whimsical details taken down, alleging that she didn’t obtain the necessary permits and approvals.
The so-called Flintstone House was built in 1976, although it was only given its pop culture nickname after it was painted all orange in 2000, according to Atlas Obscura. Fang, the retired owner of the San Francisco Examiner, reportedly purchased the property for $2.8 million in 2017 and made some changes.
In October, Fang was ordered to pay a $200 fine to the city, as her home, which can be seen from the interstate, was deemed a “highly visible eyesore.”
Longtime SF power broker and former Examiner publisher Florence Fang is not going to back down just because the tony Peninsula town of Hillsborough has decided to sue her. https://t.co/CN27FGo5hG
— SFist (@SFist) March 20, 2019
Fang responded to the lawsuit through a lawyer Wednesday.
“This is intolerance and elitist behavior from the town of Hillsborough. It’s unconstitutional and we will vigorously fight back in our answer and cross-complaint,” Angela Alioto told SFist. “Denying Ms. Fang’s right to Due Process and the right to her own personal property is outrageous. The Flintstone house is a pure joy to many, and we will fight this lawsuit vigorously to restore Ms. Fang’s freedom from this serious intolerance and overstepping by the town of Hillsborough and restore her rights to the full enjoyment of her property.”
Fang’s yard decorations have included not just dinosaurs but a life-size statue of Fred Flintstone, a woolly mammoth and more. The lawsuit notes that Fang has also added stairs, a parking strip and other features, according to the New York Times.
The suit accuses Fang of all but ignoring citations that she needed additional permits for her changes to the property and violating the municipal code.
A lawyer for the town, Mark D. Hudak, told the Times that residents are frustrated.
“It is one thing to spot this house when driving by on the freeway; you might find it amusing,” he said. “It is a different thing to be a neighbor and see it all day, every day.”
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