Needs furniture and plenty of it

When Dr. Rahim Karjoo bought this Glendale house in 1996, he wasn’t bothered that it wasn’t fully constructed. That just meant he could complete it to his liking, he thought.

And the fact that it was also in foreclosure wasn’t worrisome. That just meant he could get it for less.

The problem that Karjoo, an anatomic and clinical pathologist, didn’t see coming was that the very size of his new house would prevent him from getting a certificate of occupancy for nine years.

The original building permit, issued in 1989, allowed construction of a two-story, 8,000-square-foot home. The house became the center of a controversy, according to building biographer Tim Gregory, when it grew to more than 13,000 square feet before it was completed.

City officials approved the quality of the work as it proceeded but neglected to enforce the size limitations from the original permit, Gregory noted.

About this house: Originally listed in December 2004 at $12.5 million, the price was reduced in July to $7,915,000. Owner Karjoo, president and director of American Medical Diagnostic Laboratories in Santa Ana, said he is tired of “El Tovar,” as it is called. (The home is located on El Tovar Drive.) The process of getting the occupancy certificate sapped his enthusiasm for the property, which he has used as his residence only occasionally.

Asking price: $7,915,000

Size: The home has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms in 14,650 square feet. The lot size is 55,321 square feet.

Features: There is a pool, tennis court, five-car garage, wine cellar, library, game room and elevator. A rose garden and surrounding lawns have city views.

Where: Glendale

Listing agent: Alexandra Kelly at Coldwell Banker, Studio City, (818) 800-2572.

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, please send color interior and exterior photos and caption information on a CD and a detailed description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; or e-mail [email protected].