'Stripper Mansion' Owner Slapped With Potential Fines

A Lutz mansion that once served as the home of a stripper school has drawn more attention from Hillsborough County officials.

On Friday, the county’s Code Enforcement Board voted unanimously on a decision to find the sprawling estate’s owner out of compliance with Hillsborough regulations. The owner, Gordon Lownds, now has seven days to prove the home is in compliance or he will face fines up to $1,000 a day, The Tampa Tribune reported.

At issue are special events that are allegedly being staged inside the home.

Lownds bought the 11,417-square-foot mansion in the rural community of Lutz with an eye on using the home for a reality television show about strippers, the Tribune reported. The 7-acre property also seemed ideal for serving as a site for private parties and special events.

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While the reality show didn’t quite materialize, the remodeled mansion with an Egyptian theme did become the home of a modeling agency that caters to strippers. Pharaoh’s Daughters “provides coaching and ongoing employment to promising young strippers and exotic dancers for work in prestigious gentlemen’s clubs,” its website states. The website invites strippers to “come live in (a) Tampa mansion where you’ll enjoy unequaled benefits: a safe and secure residence, along with transportation to and from work.”

In addition to the agency, which has since moved out, the home served as a venue for special events. The problem, according to the county, is that permitting to host special events was not in place.

The expansive home, dubbed the “Pharaoh’s Palace,” has also drawn the ire of neighbors in the nearby gated community of Cheval. It seems neighbors in the community, which was once called home by Gulf War commander Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, aren’t upset about the strippers; it’s the noise from the parties they can’t abide.

“It seems like bass drums are the major musical instrument,” neighbor Ron Nagy told Channel 8 news about the loud noises that come from the home when parties are going on. “Some of these parties have gone on until 4 or 5 in the morning.”

Nagy and other neighbors issued noise complaints with the sheriff’s office. Code enforcement was also notified of potential violations.

The 18520 Ramblewood Road is now for sale. The property is described as a “French provincial estate home” with six bedrooms. It features a 650-bottle wine cellar, a game room with full bar, exercise room and pool. The pool is featured in the Zillow listing and also in a video posted on the Pharaoh’s Palace website.

For a complete look at the listing, visit Zillow online.

The county intends to keep an eye on the home. If a special event is staged without approval, fines will start, the Tribune noted.

Photos from Zillow

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