John Powers Middleton, son of the Philadelphia Phillies owner, issued an apology Wednesday for the ongoing vandalism at his two abandoned Hollywood Hills mansions, both of which have been vacant for years.
The properties, located on Mulholland Drive and North Sunset Plaza Drive, have become targets for squatters and vandals, with graffiti covering the walls of both homes.
Middleton acknowledged the issues in a statement, saying, “What’s happened to the two properties I own is unacceptable, and no matter what caused it, I own the houses.”
He also noted that while both homes had security in place, he has now implemented 24/7 armed security after continued vandalism, including graffiti on walls that had just been repainted. The city of Los Angeles placed fencing around the Mulholland Drive property earlier in September, according to NBC News Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Police Department has had a presence there. City crews also removed the graffiti from the multi-story structure, with Middleton pledging to repay any taxpayer funds used for the cleanup and protection of the properties.
Records indicate that Middleton purchased the Mulholland Drive mansion in 2012.
In 2022, after the home was declared a public nuisance, the LA Department of Building and Safety ordered Middleton to erect a fence. When he failed to comply, the city decided to do it itself. The mansion, constructed in 2003, features six bedrooms, four stories and a pool while overlooking Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 24: In an aerial view, workers paint the second of two mansions covered with graffiti, this one vandalized within the past few days according to neighbors, on September 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Both mansions, owned by John Powers Middleton, son of the billionaire owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, were unoccupied when squatters moved in to vandalize them. The tags of some of the vandals are same as many that were painted on the so-called “Graffiti Tower”, an unfinished 30-story downtown building that was heavily damaged earlier this year. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
The second property, located on North Sunset Plaza Drive, sits about five miles south of the Mulholland mansion. Both homes are under investigation by the Department of Building and Safety. Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman’s office condemned the situation, calling Middleton’s lack of action an “egregious violation of the law.” (RELATED: California City To Receive Huge Payout From Chevron In Exchange For Dropping Refinery Tax)
Two individuals were arrested in connection with the vandalism at the Mulholland Drive mansion earlier in September. (RELATED: Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston’s Beverly Hills Mansion Sells For $32.5M)
“This is a public safety issue with serious consequences for both neighbors and the surrounding community. Irresponsible property owners must take accountability for their property or face action from the city,” Raman’s office stated.
