Actor James Franco is the worst neighbor ever, according to a disgruntled Los Angeles resident who lives near him.
One of Franco's neighbors let loose about the 34-year-old star's negative impact on their quiet street via an anonymous email published Friday on real estate blog Curbed LA. The missive starts with a nod to Franco's body of work, noting that his role in the movie "Milk," as well as his academic pursuits, made the letter-writer proud to call him a neighbor.
That all changed several weeks ago, when the people living in Franco's compound started doing film shoots. The email notes that occasional film shoots are part of living in La-la-land, but a Franco staffer named Iris reportedly confirmed that the work has bloomed into full-time production inside Franco's house, according to the email. While it might seem glamorous to live next to a bustling Hollywood set, the anonymous writer details the annoyances that come with being Franco's neighbor:
Large white production trucks and various other vehicles block our driveway and use it as a loading zone and block our street with such regularity that we have begun calling parking enforcement to have them ticketed; racks of costumes come and go; crowds of people constantly stream in and out of the house and have business meetings in front of OUR house and treat us as if we are eavesdropping sycophants when we walk out our gate to our car; and as I write this, they've set up hair and make-up in their driveway.
When the email writer complained to Iris about a truck blocking his driveway, she reportedly responded, "Have you guys met James?" Iris also claimed Franco's people could do whatever they want on his property, the email said.
"Really?" asks the anonymous neighbor. "Running a production of such impact and magnitude in a residential area doesn't violate any zoning restrictions? Are there no limits to the kinds of businesses one can run?"
To answer the zoning question, we contacted the office of City Councilman Eric Garcetti, the frontrunner in the mayor's race. Spokesman Diego de la Garza said the staff is investigating.
Franco didn't immediately respond to an email to his representative.
Franco bought the compound in LA's Silver Lake neighborhood for $775,000 in November 2012. The modest, two-bedroom fixer-upper was sold by stylist/designer Janie Bryant (of "Mad Men" costume fame), according to public records. Franco, best known for starring in the TV series "Freaks and Geeks," appeared in three Spider-Man movies.
Deidre Woollard of Realtor.com, a real estate expert who lived in what's now the Franco compound from 2004 to 2010, explained that the home is on a quiet street and "parking is at a premium."
"Those who live there are friendly but also value their privacy and the specialness of this older neighborhood," she said in an email to HuffPost. "Because the street ends in steps on one end there is no easy way to turn cars around and even the smallest amount of congestion can cause a real problem."
Woollard added: "It’s a pretty cool old neighborhood in Silver Lake."
Photos of the Franco compound courtesy of Realtor.com.
