Life on the Edge: the challenges of living on the fringes of Citrus Heights

By Mike Hazlip—
Danny and Paula Giusti live at an address that some say doesn’t exist.

At the end of Pearl Way and Linden Avenue in the extreme northern border of Citrus Heights is a field with a railroad tie sticking vertically out of the ground that marks the line between Sacramento and Placer counties.

That county line is also the northern boundary of the city of Citrus Heights and it runs through the front yard of the Giusti’s property. Danny is a retired third-generation railroad employee, and his family has owned the land for generations, he says.

“The corner post out there,” Danny Giusti said, pointing to the railroad tie in the field next to his home that marks the county line. “That’s it.”

With his driveway entrance at a street address in Citrus Heights and a home at the back of the lot in Placer County, Giusti says finding him on the map can be a problem for deliveries and county services.

“It depends on who you ask,” he said. “Some places say that there’s no such place at that address.”

Giusti says he travels to Auburn for building permits from Placer County, but gets called for jury duty in Sacramento County because of his street address.

“We’re as far away from each one of them as you can get,” Danny Giusti said.

Obtaining permits for the property can be a challenge, so Giusti uses a map to pinpoint his property, saying “You have to show them exactly where we’re at.”

“When we had to get the permits, we had to go to both,” Paula Giusti said. “It’s not fun, it seems like one could give a little.”

The Giustis say they pay property taxes to Placer County because the parcel on which their home sits is within Placer County, but another home on the property where other family members live is on the Sacramento County side and incurs separate property taxes.

“Our Placer County tax bill comes to unknown city, California, 95661,” Paula Giusti said. “I’ve told them at least eight times and nothing changes, so just go with it.”

After moving to their home they built on the Placer County side, the Giustis sent in their voter registration only to be told it would be forwarded to another county. It remains unclear where their polling place will be for the next election, Paula Giusti said.

Government services aren’t the only the things Giustis have trouble sorting out- – getting services from private businesses and deliveries can be also be a challenge.

“Even to get insurance, they’ll tell me this place doesn’t exist,” Paula Giusti said. “They gave us three different addresses when this place was built, so we still have all those written down.”

Paula Giusti said her husband has lived on the property for six decades. Danny Giusti said his grandfather, Pietro Giusti, originally purchased 12 acres between what is now Twin Oaks and Whyte Avenue.

The county line now runs between both streets, but angles toward the south-east, cutting through properties, homes, and businesses.

Also on The Sentinel: Local History: How this clock ended up in front of this Citrus Heights home

Citrus Heights Historical Society President Larry Fritz said the U.S. Government divided California into townships soon after acquiring the land. The state also established its own territories after becoming the 31st state in 1850.

“For reasons I do not know, the State did not follow the US governments’ property lines when they formed the county boundaries,” Fritz said.

Despite the hassles, Danny Giusti says he doesn’t mind living on the edge, straddling two counties. He says having an address that is not on some maps helps him keep his privacy.

“Which is ok,” he said.

Life on the Edge is a new series by The Sentinel that looks at homes and businesses that are near the border of Citrus Heights. In the next installment, The Sentinel takes a look at a race car builder who owns a home where the county line runs through the living room.