Disgraced San Antonio lawyer Chris Pettit’s mansion Although it technically went on the market in late 2022, this historic San Antonio mansion in the Olmos Basin has remained for sale throughout 2023. The 6,500-square foot property was once the residence of former attorney Christopher “Chris” Pettit, who pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges in October. Late last year, in the midst of Pettit’s legal woes, the home went on the market for just under $4 million, but its price has since been slashed to just under $3 million. Credit: Realtor.com

After 15 months on the market, the Alamo Heights mansion of disgraced San Antonio attorney Chris Pettit finally has a bidder, according to the Express-News.

The CEO of San Antonio-based door manufacturer Steves & Sons Inc., Edward Galt Steves, placed a $2.3 million bid to buy the 6,500-square-foot property dubbed the “Wedding Cake House,” the daily reports. The three-bedroom, four-bathroom home designed by architect Tom Pressley got its nickname due to its multi-tiered design.

The home was originally put on the market for nearly $4 million in November 2022. However, the asking price has been lowered six times since then, with its latest set at $2.8 million.

Pettit was forced to put the home up for sale after his law firm, which focused on wills and estate planning, Chris Pettit & Associates P.C., filed for bankruptcy in June 2022, according to the Express-News.

Federal prosecutors charged Pettit with operating a Ponzi-type scheme to defraud affluent and often elderly San Antonio-area residents out of tens of millions of dollars. Last month, Pettit was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for his role in the plot.

Steves, who — along with his brother — runs what some consider Alamo City’s oldest family-owned business, doesn’t yet own Pettit’s landmark home. Instead, other parties will have the opportunity to outbid the business owner in $25,000 increments during an auction overseen by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Antonio on April 1, according to the daily.

The residence, located at 555 Argyle Ave., is the last of Pettit’s numerous properties to remain unsold during bankruptcy proceedings.

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This article appears in Mar 6-19, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...