2,800 Residents Seek to Secede From Sepulveda

Homeowners trying to secede from the community of Sepulveda said Monday they will present Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson this week with a petition signed by more than 2,800 residents who want to rename their neighborhood North Hills.

Residents west of the San Diego Freeway began the secession campaign last fall to dissociate themselves from what they regard as crime-plagued neighborhoods east of the freeway.

Bernson has said he will approve the name change if it is supported by a majority of homeowners west of the freeway. Michael Ribons, a real estate broker who organized the movement, said his group has collected more than 2,800 signatures, more than two-thirds of the property owners in the proposed community.