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HOLLYWOOD HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — An abandoned mansion littered with graffiti, trash and broken glass isn’t what you might imagine when you think of prime real estate in the Hollywood Hills.
Neighbors in Multiview and Mulholland describe the abandoned mansion as a headache and a safety hazard. The house is now covered in graffiti from painters, and squatters have been coming and going for more than two years.
“Mary J. Blige lived here,” said a neighbor who identified himself only as Jack. “We had some high-level businessmen, so to speak. I think some influential people have lived here over the years. It’s a very nice house, about 8,000 square feet. It’s big.”
Karin Gideon said that when there was no fence around the house, people broke into it several times.
“They cut the fence. There were a lot of very questionable people. Some were crazy, some were even threatening,” he said.
Neighbors along Multiview and Mulholland drives describe the abandoned mansion as a headache and safety hazard, but who owns it? What’s being done to address the issue? ABC7’s Josh Haskell explains.
Filmmaker Nick Sozonov said he does not participate in graffiti but documents the group that does and claimed that some of the people who tagged the graffiti towers in downtown Los Angeles have also been to the mansion.
“With the graffiti towers and this graffiti mansion right now, it feels like a big offensive gesture by the city,” Sozonov said.
Sozonov created a drone video for social media showing a dramatic change before and after the graffiti. According to Sozonov, the graffiti has increased over the past week as word spread about the mansion and its famous connections.
“After the graffiti towers, I’m very up to date with the different artists in the city, so I saw everyone streaming live videos and posting about their presence at the mansion, tagging it,” Sozonov said.
Graffiti artists spray-painted “Diddy was here” on the roof of the home after learning that the music video for the rapper’s song “Last Night” had been filmed on the property.
“We all recognized the song and as soon as we knew that this was the house, everyone got excited, as if it was a celebrity’s mansion,” Sozonov said.
ABC7 captured what appeared to be three graffiti artists leaving the home Thursday night, with private security intervening to remove them.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers have responded to the home six times this month for trespassing and vandalism. Police evicted 10 people on Wednesday and arrested one person on a warrant.
Who is the owner?
According to public records, the owner is John Powers Middleton, the same person who owns another mansion in the Hollywood Hills that was also occupied by squatters. ABC7 reported on the deteriorating conditions at that property a year ago. ABC7 checked the property on Friday and found it vacant, with the pools drained and boarded up.
Middleton’s father owns the Philadelphia Phillies.
“It’s gotten a bit bigger than it needs to be, and there doesn’t seem to be much concern for the safety and well-being of the neighbours,” said neighbour Magnus Fiennes.
“The longer this is going to be the more people are going to come and continue to do what they’re doing,” Jack said. “The neighborhood, this house in particular, could use a security guard. Two guards… it’s not that expensive. Let’s keep the neighborhood safe.”
Neighbors also said they have reached out to Los Angeles Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s office but haven’t had much luck getting a resolution.
His office said the owner has ignored an abatement order.
ABC7 also learned a lien has been placed on the home and that the owner has failed to pay property taxes for several years.
In a statement, Raman’s office said: “This is a flagrant violation of the law and we are escalating the matter to the Department of Building and Safety’s Abandoned Buildings Unit to ensure the full extent of the law is urgently and expeditiously enforced. This is a public safety issue with serious consequences for both neighbors and the surrounding community. Irresponsible property owners like the one at 7571 Mulholland Drive must take responsibility for their property or face action from the city.”
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