Judge Stops UCLA's Sale of Carter Japanese Garden (For Now)
By James Brasuell Aug 1, 2012, 1:29pm PDT
Surprising news in the controversy over UCLA's plans to sell the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden in Bel Air: Rafu Shimpo reports that last Friday, an LA Superior Court judge granted a preliminary injunction against the sale of the garden and its adjacent mansion. Bids were scheduled to be opened on August 15. In May, the family of Hannah Carter filed a lawsuit to stop the sale, but news broke that same month that a (presumably different) Superior Court judge had blocked a temporary restraining order on the sale. The injunction comes in anticipation of a trial to settle the matter permanently. Former UC Board of Regents chair Edward Carter donated the money for UCLA to buy the 1.5 acre garden (described by Rafu Shimpo as "the first major Japanese garden built in Southern California following World War II") in 1964; the neighboring house was donated at the same time, but occupied until 2006 by his widow, Hannah Carter. Citing rising maintenance costs and a lack of attendance, UCLA put the property up for sale in March, with an asking price $5.7 million. The house was listed in February for $9 million. According to earlier reports, UCLA had already begun removing valuable objects from the site and were proceeding with a sale that would not include any protective covenants that could preserve the garden.
· JUDGE GRANTS INJUNCTION ON UCLA'S SALE OF JAPANESE GARDEN [Rafu Shimpo]
· Worries Over Potential Dismantling of UCLA's Japanese Garden [Curbed LA]
· UCLA Lists Japanese Garden-Adjacent Carter House For $9MM [Curbed LA]
Hannah Carter Japanese Garden
10619 Bellagio Rd., Los Angeles, CA
405 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles, CA
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