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SANTA ANA (CNS) - Billionaire bond king Bill Gross and his wife were found in contempt of court today for violating a restraining order issued as part of a noise dispute with their Laguna Beach neighbor, and the couple were ordered to spend two days performing community service.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Knill officially sentenced the PIMCO founder and his wife to five days in jail, but she said they could serve two of those days performing community service and avoid serving the other three days in custody if they do not commit any other violations in the next year.
Knill issued a three-year restraining order last year following complaints from Mark Towfiq and his wife Carol Nakahara, who complained that the Grosses were blasting loud music in their backyard, most notably the repeated playing of TV show theme songs like “Gilligan's Island.''
The couple began playing the music after Towfiq complained to the city about netting Gross had installed around an art installation in his yard -- blocking Towfiq's scenic ocean view.
In early July, however, Towfiq and his wife complained to police that the Grosses were again playing loud music and shouting, jolting them out of bed. They complained that the loud music was blasting until about 10:40 p.m., well after a 9 p.m. curfew.
Following the incident, Towfiq and Nakahara went to court, seeking a five-year extension of the restraining order to prohibit them from playing music outdoors. They also wanted the judge to restrict the height of any umbrellas on the Gross property to 7 feet, claiming a 15-foot one the couple added also restricted Towfiq's view of the ocean.
Knill on Friday ordered the Grosses not to play any outdoor music at the property, but she declined to get involved in the dispute over the height of umbrellas.
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