Squatters have taken over an abandoned Los Angeles mansion owned by the son of the Philadelphia Phillies owner, while neighbors see the upscale neighborhood as unsightly and fear for their safety.
The property at 7571 Mulholland Drive in the upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood had been vacant for more than a decade, several years after it was purchased by John Powers Middleton, the only son of businessman John S. Middleton. According to ABC6.
Over the course of two years, squatters and graffiti artists began breaking into the vacant house, and the graffiti artists began leaving, blasting their own artwork all over the house.
The brightly colored graffiti depicts a mischievously grinning heart character “standing” at the full height of the house, surrounded by “tags” (the artist's name and initials) spray-painted in various fonts and colors.
“Every time we call the police come and clear it out, then an hour or two later five more people arrive and stay the night,” one local resident told the outlet.
Residents of the upmarket neighbourhood claim they were abused by suspected squatters who attacked the homeowners with “rebar and beer bottles”.
Some argue that graffiti artists are beginning to expand their activities to other locations.
“The people who come to tag are also tagging other houses on other properties,” Mateo Herreros said. He told NBC Los Angeles. “I [couldn’t] “I don't really care about this house. It's abandoned. The owners don't care about it. I don't really care about it. I'm just concerned about the elements it brings.”
Middleton purchased the mansion in 2012, but the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety declared the property a nuisance and issued an exclusion order in October 2022 forcing the owner to install a fence and make the property safe. NBCLA reported.
Middleton did not comply with the order, so the city ended up installing a fence instead.
Squatters and graffiti artists have broken into the six-bedroom, 9,707-square-foot home. The Middleton mansion has a pool and is estimated to be worth $6.53 million, according to the listing.
Most of the windows are broken and the exterior walls and roof of the house are covered in graffiti.
According to NBCLA, Los Angeles City Council Member Nicia Roman's office said the abandoned mansion is a “public safety issue that has serious impacts on both the neighbors and the surrounding community.”
“This owner has committed serious violations of the law and we have reported this matter to the Building Safety Department's Abandoned Buildings Division to ensure maximum enforcement is carried out urgently and swiftly,” Raman's office said.
Local residents have tried many times to evict the illegal immigrants, including by calling the police, but the illegal immigrants always return after a while.
“Police told us they can't resolve it because the homeowner still owns it, so it's in limbo,” the neighbour said.
“Every time we call, the police come and clear out the place, then an hour or two later five more people come and stay the night,” said a nearby resident, who asked not to be named.
In 2016, John S. Middleton increased his ownership interest in the Phillies to 48 percent and was named “conservator” of the team. Middleton joined the team as a limited liability partner in 1994.
The Phillies confirmed that the land is owned by Middleton, but no one else in the family has any investments in California property.
“The California properties are owned by John Powers Middleton. No other members of the family have any ownership interest, investment, control or involvement in these properties,” the Phillies said in a statement, according to WPVI.
