Another teensy twist in the Laura Richardson real estate drama
4:15 PM, June 20, 2008
Laura_richardsons_sacramento_home It happened last fall, but Laura Richardson's presence at an Association of Realtors shindig -- they paid for her hotel and transportation -- has more than a touch of irony. Our own Jeff Gottlieb connects the dots:
Last November, the National Assn. of Realtors flew in three members of California's congressional delegation for the installation of its new president, paying for their food, lodging and transportation. Two of them were Adam Schiff and Kevin McCarthy. The third was Rep. Laura Richardson, who has since become better known for her dealings in the real estate world than for her legislative activites.
Richardson's house in Sacramento was sold in foreclosure last month, and she has gone into default on homes in San Pedro and in her district in Long Beach. Just two months before her trip to Las Vegas, Richardson received a notice of default on her San Pedro house saying she owed $12,410.71. A little more than a month before her trip, Richardson received a notice saying she owed $15,101.87 on her Long Beach house.
Mary Trupo, a spokeswoman for the Realtors, said the group had no idea of Richardson's troubles when it invited her. She said the group invited the Congress members because they represented areas where new president Richard F. Gaylord has worked with Realtor groups.
There is no word whether in an attempt to find the money to get up to speed on her payments, Richardson put down some heavy bets at the roulette table. What we do know is that two months later she once again received a notice of default, this one saying she owed $11,053.04 on the San Pedro house.
Richardson has faced default on her homes seven times -- five of those in the last 13 months. Will the Ethics Commission investigate? Will the Association of Realtors ask for its plane fare back?
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