Repair Ordered in 1984 on Beams in Balcony Collapse : Tragedy: County told owners to take steps to halt corrosion. Manufacturer raised concerns in 1974.

The owner of the Malibu townhouse where two people died Sunday in the collapse of an oceanfront balcony was ordered by Los Angeles County officials in March, 1984, to take immediate action to repair corroding steel beams or risk having the structure declared unsafe.

But a county building official said Wednesday there is no indication in county records that a requested engineering report was ever submitted or that the repair work was performed. Nor is there any indication of whether the county conducted a follow-up inspection after warning that it “may be necessary . . . to declare the building unsafe . . . and order it vacated.”

“The records themselves do not show what was done,” said Ed Biddlecomb, assistant superintendent of building for the county Division of Building and Safety. “I don’t see anything specific. The records really don’t shed any light on that at all.”

Biddlecomb said that as early as 1974 he sent a letter to owners of nearly three dozen Malibu oceanfront townhouses that have steel beam construction. The letter warned that the manufacturer of the steel was concerned about a potential safety hazard if the steel was not maintained to prevent rust. Records do not indicate whether the owner of the unit where the balcony collapsed received the letter, Biddlecomb said.

Morton Devor, attorney for the unit’s owner, Halsted Financial Co. of Santa Monica, declined to comment about the unit at 20446 Pacific Coast Highway.

After inspecting the unit, County District Engineer Harvey J. Ambers warned Halsted in 1984 that steel girders supporting the building had been reduced in thickness because of rusting. A concrete piling that supports the structure also had deteriorated, causing the concrete to flake away and expose the reinforcing steel to corrosion, the inspection showed.

“These conditions may have created an unsafe condition,” Ambers wrote to the owner.

Ambers ordered Halsted to submit an engineering plan within 30 days and complete any recommended repair work within 60 days.

Biddlecomb said similar letters were sent in 1984 to the owners of other beachfront townhouses in the same area along Pacific Coast Highway that were experiencing either corrosion of the steel beams or problems with the concrete pilings.

He said there are 34 such units on the waterfront, but could not determine exactly how many letters were sent or what was done. Biddlecomb described the orders as being very uncommon.

Although there is no indication of a follow-up inspection by county officials, he said, “I can’t say we dropped the ball.”

The balcony on the unit at 20446 Pacific Coast Highway collapsed early Sunday morning, tossing guests onto the rocks and into the surf below. George Hanasab, 36, of Woodland Hills and Farzad Laaly, 28, of Culver City were killed and 29 others were injured. Two people remained hospitalized Wednesday in critical or fair condition.

Malibu building official James Guerra said Wednesday that he was unaware of the county’s 1984 order until a reporter informed him of it. He said the seaside city, which incorporated last year, would request that the county provide all records concerning the property.

Biddlecomb said that although the county no longer has jurisdiction over Malibu, reinspecting all of the oceanfront dwellings with the steel beam construction would “seem to me to be the most sensible thing to do.”

Guerra said he is still gathering information and will make a recommendation to the Malibu City Council. “One option would be to reinspect the properties,” he said.

County records show that the concern about corrosion of steel beams at the complex dates back more than 18 years.

Federal Steel Corp. of Long Beach, which fabricated the beams, alerted county officials to the problem in January, 1974, 10 years after the units were built.

“We wish to call your attention to a potential safety hazard that exists on beachfront dwellings along Pacific Coast Highway in the Malibu area,” Federal Steel Chief Engineer Max Marcus wrote to county building officials. The company apparently is no longer in business.

Marcus urged the county to contact the property owners to advise them of the necessity to maintain the structural steel by coating it with a special paint to prevent oxidation. “This structural framing has been exposed to the sea by virtue of its proximity to the waterline and has been subjected to severe weather conditions,” he wrote.

“After 10 years of constant exposure it appears that in some areas this paint system has broken down and the structural steel has been exposed,” he continued. “The oxidation that is taking place will eventually corrode the structural steel to an extent where the owners must be concerned with their structural capability to carry the loads intended for the member.”

After inspecting the buildings, Biddlecomb wrote property owners in February, 1974, about the need to maintain the steel girders. A copy of Federal Steel’s letter was attached.

“Although this office is concerned with the adequate maintenance of buildings, we would not normally take any official action unless the condition deteriorates to a point that would make the building substandard or unsafe,” Biddlecomb wrote. “We strongly recommend that immediate attention be given to the correction of this condition before such action is necessary.”

In 1984, Ambers sent an even stronger letter telling owners of units in the complex that they had to submit an engineering plan to correct the problem.

“Since the deterioration of the pile (concrete piling) and the reduced thickness of the beam reduce their capacity to support designed loads, we must require that you, as owner, submit an engineering report. . . ,” the letter said.