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Feuding owners of Spaghetti Junction tower face trial on hefty fines

The Presidential Boutique Condotel, show last month, is an icon of Spaghetti Junction, and, some feel, an eyesore for DeKalb County. Photos by Joshua Sharpe
The Presidential Boutique Condotel, show last month, is an icon of Spaghetti Junction, and, some feel, an eyesore for DeKalb County. Photos by Joshua Sharpe
By Joshua Sharpe
Oct 10, 2016

Owners of the iconic former hotel looming over the Spaghetti Junction skyline are headed to court Tuesday on dozens of code violations.

Vincent Lu and Habib Osta, who have been feuding for years over the 15-story tower, couldn't come to an agreement last month with DeKalb County officials. The owners face as much as $34,000 in fines if found guilty of the 34 violations.

The trial is set for 2 p.m.

The building, which was most recently a condo complex, has been vacant several years and is seen by some as emblematic of the problems of blight troubling the county.

A county prosecutor vowed to seek the maximum fine after several hours of negotiations failed. Each of the owners pointed the finger at the other for the condition of the building, which has broken windows, overgrown grass and a general rundown appearance.

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