It turns out that the CEO of Soylent might be a little less successful at real estate development than he is at convincing people to replace food with his signature beige slurry. A shipping container structure he dropped onto plot in Lincoln Heights has run afoul of neighbors and now things have gotten so bad that criminal charges may be filed, according to Curbed.
The popular hiking and jogging area known as Flat Top was, until recently, a pristine open space for the community. Then, according to property records, Soylent’s Robert Rhinehart bought a small plot for $21,300 at an auction and proceeded to install a large red shipping container house.
The build out on the house appears to not have been extensive, with photos pretty much showing a metal container with glass windows and nothing finished inside. That lack of polish might be related to the fact that Rhinehart found that applying for official building permits was a bit onerous for his tastes.
“In the city of Los Angeles one may not install a garbage disposal without seeking a permit,” he is quoted as saying. Going on to add, “I feel like I’m living in the movie Brazil.”
Officials from the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, which oversees the area, say they've heard a lot of complaints about the container. They also say they have reason to suspect that the container is not in compliance with seismic rules and, in the event of an earthquake, could potentially tumble down onto other houses.
Rhinehart does not appear to live in the container house most of the time and neighbors have noticed that it has been defaced extensively and may be attracting an unwanted sort of attention. The LA Department of Building became involved in June, citing Rhinehart for his “abandoned or vacant building open to the public.” A hearing was held on June 28 asking him to remove the container, but he refused to comply with the order, instead throwing a big Fourth of July pig roast party (at which, evidently, no Soylent was served), which is what provoked the request that the city attorney file criminal charges.
Now the entrepreneur has come around and agreed to remove the structure at some point, though he is not committing to when. He is also making noises that he would like to purchase more plots in the area because, apparently, he wants to protect the open space from development and building.