Laguna Beach Billionaire Hints At Concessions In Ongoing Dispute

Laguna Beach CA

22 September, 2021

2:20 PM

Description

LAGUNA BEACH, CA —Billionaire Bill Gross said in court Tuesday that he is willing to make some concessions in an ongoing legal battle that he and wife Amy are engaged in with their Laguna Beach neighbors Mark Towfiq and Carol Nakahara, according to Bloomberg. The couples are in Santa Ana Superior Court this week, where Towfiq asked a judge to find the Grosses in contempt for violating a court order that requires them to stop blasting music outside their house, according to the New York Post. Towfiq claims the Grosses violated the order in July when they played loud music and sang loudly. The Grosses could face jail time if found guilty, reported Bloomberg. But on Tuesday, Gross, the founder of PIMCO, hinted that he might take steps to reduce the noise by removing some of his outdoor speakers "if hopefully, it would end all this controversy." "We still want to play music, but if eight speakers are too much ..." Gross said, according to Bloomberg. The controversy dates back to 2019, when Gross and his then-girlfriend, now-wife Amy Schwartz, installed a sculpture by artist Dale Chihuly that Towfiq said blocked his view. After Gross and Schwartz said the sculpture was hit by a rock, they covered it with a large netting, which blocked the view even more. Towfiq said he told the city that the structure blocked his view. Soon after that, Gross and Schwartz allegedly began blasting the theme music from shows like "Gilligan's Island," "M*A*S*H" and "Green Acres," which Towfiq and Nakahara said caused them stress. On Dec. 23, 2020, Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Knill issued a three-year restraining order that prohibits Gross and Schwartz from harassing their neighbors and forces them to stay five yards away from Towfiq and Nakahara. Gross and Schwartz also are prevented from playing outdoor music that violates the city's ordinance and they cannot have the backdoor speakers playing when nobody is in the yard. When the couples landed back in court this week, Nakahara said she "thought the issue was over" when the order was issued, according to Bloomberg. "What else are we supposed to do?" Nakahara said. But Amy Gross said she has been the victim. "I fear going into my backyard," Amy Gross said Monday in court, according to Bloomberg. "I couldn't have my wedding reception there. I couldn't have my birthday there." Gross added: "I'm being monitored 24-7 inside my home. I'm very frustrated."