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September 21, 2009

Wish I had $600,000 to spend on fighting for my “right” to host raucous parties with lingerie-clad women on my 13-acre estate

What a jerk—though I could hurl out some other expletives at this guy named Kevin Degnan,who apparently liked seeing himself as the Hugh Hefner of the East Bay (Hugh, of course, pictured here).

Anyway, Degnan, an, uh, distinguished citizen and plastic surgeon in our East Bay suburbs took his case all the way to the state Supreme Court, according to this report in the Contra Costa Times.

And what was his “righteous cause,” for which he spent lots of his own money, but also wasted lots of taxpayer-funded court time and resources?

Well, he liked to throw big Playboy mansion-style parties on the 13-acre estate in the exclusive Alamo enclave known as Jones Ranch. He moved to this estate in 2003 and would helicopter in some guests and have others park their cars in a traffic turnaround on his property that could accommodate up to 50 vehiles.

Neighbors were not happy, alleging that the parties were cesspools of public sex and underage drinking—and that his guests made lots of noise, shouted obscenities, littered the streets, and parked in front of their driveways. Neighbors went to court, and his Jones Ranch Homeowners Association filed suit.

In his response to the suit, Degnan claimed that the homeowners’ association rules discriminated against his guests, because they included non-whites and lovely young females. Degnan proclaimed, in his court filings, that he was being picked on because he didn’t fit into his neighbors’ “picture-perfect world” and that there was a “bias against his attractive female party guests.” He also noted that many women living in his area are "matronly, middle-aged or elderly."

Snap.

I suppose he would like to think us to he’s fighting for the good old right of property owners to do what they want on their property. He wants to be property owners’ knight in shining armor.

You know, a couple years ago, I might have laughed this one off as yet another ha-ha example of the silly excesses of the local rich and not-so-famous. And yet another example of affluent suburbanites getting all huffy about, as Degnan says, fitting into their “picture-perfect” idea of how their little precious little world should be.

But times have indeed changed. Friends of mine have lost jobs, my 401K has landed in the crapper, my 85-year-old mom lost a lot of her retirement savings, my family’s health insurance premiums are going up. Beyond that, Contra Costa County social workers, who handle child abuse cases, have lost jobs. So have teachers. People around our community have lost homes to foreclosure, and nonprofits that provide a social safety net are struggling for dollars. Oh, and there are more people everywhere in America who are homeless and hungry. Do I need to go on?

Sure, it’s Degnan’s money to use to wage his “righteous” court battle. But he gets my vote as a Keith Olbermann-style Worst Person in the World for choosing to use so much money in such a frivolous, self-indulgent way.

The only justice here? Degnan is out the $600,000 he had to pay in legal costs, including about $280,000 that he, as the losing party in this case, had to turn over to the homeowners association to cover their legal costs.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here are some details:
http://www.danvilleweekly.com/news/show_story.php?id=522

allegations of: low flying helicopters @ 1AM;
800 attendees @ 4:30 am;
noise, trash, trespassing, underage drinking; windows being shot out of neighbors homes who complained;
The Doc might have money, but he is a low-life. This party was in 2007; obviously he permitted his legal case to clog the courts for 2years+, now he lost BIG-TIME.

Anonymous said...

Soccer Mom, as soon as I saw this item in the CC Times today I hoped you'd jump on it. Don't be surprised if some of his fellow tacky and pneumatic pals start trolling here to share their support in ALL CAPS. Bring it on, fake-boobed wonders! Where has Diablo Magazine been? This seems like a good story for them.

Anonymous said...

Funny thing: us "matronly" types would probably drive a good deal of this tummy-tucker's revenue. Surely there's way more money to be made from ubiquitous middle-age droop than from the occasional flat-chested bimbette (given that this isn't LA). Way to disrespect your clients.

Hugh Hefner was successful playing the smarmy old lecher because that's who his customer's wanted to be. This local fool doesn't realize his customers see this kind of thing and think: "keep away from my daughter, freak."

Elizabeth said...

I read this in the cc times and thought, wow, I sure would hate to be that guys neighbor! What a f****en jerk.
I think he is trying to be a combination of Hugh Hefner and the guys on Nip Tuck!! He really needs to grow up. I would never even let this doctor touch me.

Anonymous said...

the article URL posted by Anon at 3:06 p.m. has lots of interesting details, plus some photos.

I'm surprised that the doc would live in a gated community with an HOA. Seems to me he could've saved himself a lot of hassles by not buying into such a community, and instead buying a private home in a more remote section of the county.

Beyond that, the descriptions of his party scenes make me think of a certain overly blond, vapid persona that runs rampant in parts of Contra Costa County; kind of a Southern California on the cheap "aesthetic," combined with a kind of tacky Girls Gone Wild phenomenon in modern American culture. Ugh.

Martha Ross said...

BLIND ITEM!
My sources tell me that a fave local restaurant and entertainment impresario has been known to attend these Kevin Degnan soirees, at least once, but perhaps more than once? Surprise, surprise! Who on EARTH could it be?

Martha Ross said...

Elizabeth,
My sentiments exactly. What a f#$%(*N jerk.

You know, if he wants to host his wanna-be Hugh Hefner parties in the privacy of his home, I REALLY don't care. Orgy on.

What really annoyed me is the amount of money he spent on defending his oh-so Constitutional rights to do so. No doubt, there was a quite a bit of public court time and taxpayer money expended on behalf of his "righteous" cause.

Hmm. Can taxpayers sue him for his annoying lawsuit?

What a jerk-off.

We're in tough times, and we, as a community and as a society, have better ways to spend our money and time than to indulge the legalistic whims of jerk-offs like Kevin Degnan.

Oops! I used that word. Jerk-off. Did I go too far?

Oh well! As they say, when the shoe fits...

And I'm kinda pissed about this guy.

And, Golly Gee, I hope we hear from some of Mr. Degnan's plastic surgery clients, defending his honor as a compassionate, caring professional.

Anonymous said...

He made his money fair and square. That's capitalism for you, and if you don't like it, you can move to China.

Anonymous said...

Yep! The jerk is a less than desirable piece of work. I nearly fell off my chair when I looked at his picture on Danville.com - tan body and pasty white face - either too much spray on tan or too much exfoliation on the botoxed face. Either way, he is the last surgeon in the world that I would let touch my body!

Anonymous said...

I've seen this dirt bag advertise on Craigslist looking for girls to come to his party. And I've seen him at Whole Foods.

Danville should give him the douchebag key to the city.

A faithful reader said...

He may be out the $600K in legal costs, but who knows what kind of favors he gives and gets in return to his lawyers.

Money is nothing. Neither is trading services to sleezy groups.

Anonymous said...

With the exception of the underage drinking and the excessive noise, this man does have a right do as much of a douchebag as he likes.

Men like this usually derive their misogynistic tendencies from somewhere. I wonder if it is mom, ex#1, ex#2, or ex#3 or #4?

Anonymous said...

Some people here should stop worrying about what he does with his own money.

Anonymous said...

He's using tax-payer money, that's the point of SC's post. Pushing laws and legal boundaries for his definition of "fun."

I disagree that something like Diablo Mag should do a piece on this guy: why give him publicity? (He probably craves it....)

he'll get old and shriveled and limp and and weak die like the rest of us. Even the knife can't prevent this. But he'll do it pathetically, it sounds....

Anonymous said...

Wow
Sure are a lot of people here who don't really know anything except what they may read, yet are very comfortable making rather scathing remarks. Sounds like too much time and not enough decency on their parts.

Anonymous said...

Soccer Mom! Which Dudum? Tony or Jeff? Bald Jeff looks like Dr. Pervert.

Unknown said...

Those who can do and those that can't bitch and mone about anyone that has fun.Have fun kevin love you
Johnny ray

Anonymous said...

Get over it. You buy a house, throw some parties, and the neighbors sue you. Do you roll over and let everyone walk all over you? Not if you're pumped up on 'roids and need a steady supply of fresh poontang to keep your spirits up.

Anonymous said...

Dr.Degnan was extremely professional when I had my consultation at his office. I actually could care less about his parties. He knows his profession, quite well. Thats whats important. If his patients are happy with his knowledge & performance,why bad talk him? His party guests are attending his parties at their discretion. Their not being forced! His has a wonderful professional reputation & thats what matters. He is a fantastic plastic surgeon......

Unknown said...

Kevin is one of the nicest people I've ever met and has excellent bedside manners - no pun intended. He's also meticulous with his work. I know because he performed a miracle breast implant surgery due to partial nerve damage from the work of another doctor. Trashing him personally is beneath most of you. If he paid 600K to defend his name and his friends - so be it. When's the last time one of your friends paid $20 bucks to defend you? PS. To the mother who wouldn't want your daughter near him? I can promise you, if she was in a car accident and needed plastic surgery done on her face or anywhere else, this is the "meticulous" doctor you can trust as I would with my 7 year old son. Tamara M

Anonymous said...

I actually agree with the last couple of posts. I only know Kevin through his parties and I've seen many a young lady (under 21) removed from the premises... who sneaked up to the house w/o being invited. That's why he provided transport and had a rigorous guest list. On top that that, there was no nudity (aside from body painting done before the party starts), no drug tolerance, and "close encounters" were also prohibited.
I even saw him pay for cab rides for some party goers... yes, it was loud at times, but it was always a Saturday and I mean really... who's the "stuck up" one in this case? Him or his neighbors?

For the record, I do not have "fake boobs" nor am I more than "reasonably" attractive.

Anonymous said...

I live on an acre of dry grass right below this moron! Last night, August 25, 2013, this "genius" decided to light off commercial-grade fireworks right above my property. I was not part of his neighborhood lawsuit THANK GOD!, but believe me, his BAD dance music, naked girlfriends (witnessed by my 5 year olds at the time)and annoying drunk guests driving through by neighborhood and into my driveway have all been enjoyed by me many times at 3AM!! After the lawsuit, the obnoxious partying stopped, however, he's on to bigger and dumber things! Once a egotistical, narcissistic douche bag, always one!