Hepburn house owner loses court fight in Conn.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A Connecticut appeals court has ruled against the owner of Katharine Hepburn's former home in a dispute over 5-foot-high posts at the estate's entrance.

The state Appellate Court on Monday dismissed developer Frank Sciame's (see-AH'-mees) arguments that a historic commission in Old Saybrook had no authority to order him to lower the posts by a foot in 2010 and that the commission inflicted emotional distress on him. The judges upheld a lower court ruling against Sciame.

Sciame had the marble posts installed after he bought the property following the actress' 2003 death. He paid $6 million for the estate in 2004 and is now trying to sell it for $30 million.

Sciame's lawyer says Sciame already has lowered the posts and that the dispute was over the commission's authority.

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