An empty auction for Zagustin’s belongings

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON HARBOUR -- After throwing 17 tons of junk out of Elena

Zagustin’s former home, its new owners tried Tuesday to auction off

whatever belongings remained.

The trouble was, no one showed up.

Notably absent was Zagustin herself, who made such a mess of her former

Morse Circle home that her neighbors sued, forcing the sale of her

property.

The 62-year-old former engineering professor at Cal State Long Beach

didn’t go down without a fight. She filed lawsuits over the years in both

state and federal court against her neighbors, as well as city and county

officials.

That convinced one of the new owners, Randy Durham, to try to sell her

“swap meet stuff,” even though the law only requires a sale of personal

property worth $300 or more, he said.

“A lot of people would have thrown out everything, but we’re proceeding

with caution because of her litigious history,” he said.

Bargain hunters missed out on a treasure trove of Zagustin memorabilia

found among the piles of broken furniture and boxes of letters and books

crammed into the garage.

Ironically, a how-to guide entitled a “Handyman’s Book,” published in

1972, by Better Homes and Gardens, was among the treasures.

One of the many black and white photographs from Zagustin’s youth showed

her grinning in the middle of a lake with the water up to her knees.

“In later pictures, she’s got a mean scowl on her face,” said new

co-owner Tom Kreuzer.

Because no one showed up, the new owners will throw out everything,

leaving a house that will be ready for resale by the end of this month,

Durham said.

He already has a sales pitch in mind.

“We’ve changed everything but the address,” he said.