Everyone knows Dodger fans are awful. But in advance of a potential Dodgers / Phillies postseason series, they are taking things to a whole new level. Squatters and graffiti artists recently stormed a mansion owned by John Powers Middleton, son of Phillies managing partner and principal owner John S. Middleton.
Here's what the mansion looked like before the LA fans got to it:
Photos via zillow.comAnd here's footage from ABC News Los Angeles, showing what the property looks like today:
Squatters and taggers take over an abandoned California mansion owned by John Powers Middleton, the son of Phillies owner John S. Middleton.
Video: @6abc pic.twitter.com/OeuJjSdxeh
NBC Los Angeles reports that the younger Middleton purchased the 9,707 square foot home in 2012, but that the property has been abandoned for nearly a decade. "[I]n October 2022, after it was declared a nuisance, LA's Department of Building and Safety said Middleton must build a fence and secure the property," writes the outlet. "When he didn't, the city had to build the fence itself." The fence was apparently no match for deranged Los Angeles Dodger enthusiasts.
Residents of the posh Hollywood Hills area are furious. The New York Post reports that graffiti is beginning to spread to other properties, and that one suspected squatter attacked a neighboring homeowner with "steel rebar and a beer bottle." The LAPD says officers have responded to calls about the property four times in the last two days.
LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman's office issued a statement on Friday saying the following: "This owner is in egregious violation of the law and we are elevating the issue with the abandoned buildings unit at the Department of Building and Safety to ensure that the fullest extent of enforcement is being implemented urgently and swiftly."
The Phillies, meanwhile, issued a statement of their own: "The California properties are owned by John Powers Middleton. No other members of the family have ownership, investment, control or involvement in these properties."
Note: The OnPattison legal team is forcing the author to say that there's absolutely no evidence suggesting that the squatters and graffiti artists are Dodger fans. But c'mon now, we all know it's true. They're still mad about Matt Stairs.
