Personal Property

Armed with a new county report citing the health dangers of feces, urine and hypodermic needles recently found on Los Angeles' skid row, city officials could resume controversial cleanup sweeps of the downtown area's streets and sidewalks. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health inspected a nine-block area and discovered human waste, injection needles, condoms and a rat infestation in violation of county and state health codes. City officials say they have cleaned up the waste and debris cited by inspectors last month.

Four men have been arrested on suspicion of burglarizing the homes of Los Angeles Times newspaper subscribers who were on vacation, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The burglars allegedly stole $1 million in property over the last three years. Detectives said one of the suspects obtained lists of subscribers who had submitted "vacation holds" to a vendor that distributes newspapers for The Times. Officials said they have identified 25 victims but believe there are more than 100. Sgt. Michael Maher of the sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau said most of the break-ins occurred along the 210 Freeway in eastern L.A. County and western San Bernardino County.

Home sales are setting a rapid pace in most cities. With mortgage interest rates continuing to stay low, the traditional peak spring home-buying season promises to be an excellent time to be a buyer or seller. But a confusing aspect of home sales involves determining what is and is not included in the sale. Bitter fights between residence buyers, sellers and sometimes even their real estate agents too frequently erupt over what items automatically go along with the property.

QUESTION: We have some rentals and want to know about our legal responsibilities for a tenant's personal property. Since March 1995, our renter has been out of the country on a "business trip." The rent went unpaid for eight months when we finally heard from him last August. He sent a few checks, but his funds were always insufficient to cover them. His brother authorized us to store his belongings in the apartment basement and rent out the unit so we could make our mortgage payment.

Movie director Vicente Minnelli left the bulk of his $1.1-million estate to his actress-daughter Liza Minnelli, giving only $100,000 to his wife and $5,000 to his other daughter, court documents show. The documents filed Thursday also show that the family failed to carry out Minnelli's stated wish that he be cremated without a funeral. Minnelli, 83, who died last Friday after a battle against emphysema, named Liza Minnelli executor of his estate.

A Russian national has been charged with five felony counts for allegedly barricading herself in the Hollywood Hills home of "American Pie" actor  Eddie Kaye Thomas . Roxanna Bear, 31, was charged by Los Angeles County prosecutors Friday with one count each of committing vandalism causing damage over $400, interference with a wireless communication device, exhibiting a deadly weapon, false report of a criminal offense, and resisting or obstructing...

The FBI admitted it accidentally gave classified documents back to the American translator who had pleaded guilty to taking them from the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.