Doctor refuses to move from his cliffside mansion despite severe warnings it could end up in the ocean
82-year-old doctor Lewis Bruggeman is refusing to leave his cliffside mansion
A doctor has refused to move from his cliffside mansion despite severe warnings that it could plummet into the ocean.
Earlier this month, a landslide occurred in Dana Point, California, subsequently leaving three mansions located on Scenic Drive teetering on the edge of a cliff side.
X (Twitter) user Collin Rugg reported that one of the mansions is said to be worth a whopping $16 million, the second, an eye-watering $13 million and the third, a mere $12.8 million.
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The landslide followed a period of heavy rainfall in California - with the area where the three properties lie badly hit.
In fact, the homes have now ended up even closer to the edge - with one even appearing to slightly hang off the side of the cliff.
Local residents in Dana Point were quick to speak out over the properties' new location on the cliff's edge to local media.
Jan Cocchiara told ABC 7: "I would be concerned if I lived in one of those homes. I don't know if it's because of all the development that the hill's been compromised."
Now, the owner of the four-bedroom $16 million mansion, 82-year-old radiologist Lewis Bruggeman, has said he has no interest in leaving his home despite warnings from others.
"The house is fine, it’s not threatened and it will not be red-tagged,” Dr Bruggeman told KCAL.
“The city agrees that there’s no major structural issue with the house.”
Dana Point City Manager Mike Killebrew told CBS News that a geotechnical engineer and building sector inspected one of the mansions, where it was decided that there is 'no imminent threat to that home'.
He said: "The city’s geotechnical engineer and a building sector went out to the site to assess the situation, as well as talk with the homeowner who owns the residence and slope where the failure occurred."
Despite that, many have flocked to social media to weigh in to the debate.
One X user said: "If a $13 million home might fall off a cliff any day, is it really a $13 million home? Personally, I think it's worthless."
Another added: "Why in the world would they build so close to a cliff?"
A third commented: "Pro tip: Building on a cliff is a bad idea."
And a fourth remarked: "How did those cliffs sneak up of those houses? Lessons for us all, it's beautiful beyond words but there is always change along the coast and beaches. A sad situation."
Callum Jones