Phillies owner’s son John Powers Middleton apologizes to neighbors over ‘graffiti mansion’
John Powers Middleton, the son of Phillies owner John Middleton, has apologized to his neighbors in a new statement regarding his abandoned Los Angeles mansions.
A Philadelphia-native film producer and son of the Phillies’ owner is apologizing following a wave of complaints about his California mansions.
It’s the first time John Powers Middleton, 40, son of businessman John Middleton, has publicly commented on the recent state of his properties, including one that has been significantly vandalized in the last month.
Neighbors say they’ve been complaining about Middleton’s seemingly abandoned homes for years to no avail. One estate in particular, on Mulholland Drive, has been unofficially dubbed “graffiti mansion” thanks to its takeover by squatters and local street artists.
» READ MORE: What to know about Middleton and 'graffiti mansion'
It’s unclear if Middleton ever lived in the home or occupied it, but public records show the house, which he purchased in 2012, was declared a nuisance and considered abandoned more than a decade ago.
“What’s happened to the two properties I own is unacceptable,” Middleton said last week in a statement. “No matter what caused it, I own the houses.”
Public records also show Middleton has been delinquent on property taxes for the home since at least 2022 and owes about $266,500, including penalties.
Middleton added that he intends to fix and sell both his California estates as soon as possible, but says that vandalism keeps happening along the way.
“I’m doing my best to make the houses secure and fix them up, with the intent to sell each as soon as possible,” he said. “I’m disappointed to note that even as I have worked this week to paint over the graffiti, vandals still managed to break in and paint over the newly cleaned walls.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, a crew of workers could be seen last week boarding up the Mulholland Drive mansion’s windows, painting over the latest round of graffiti, and installing a new chain link fence around the property.
Still, neighbors are cynical things will improve. They told local news outlets that the popularity of “graffiti mansion” on social media has prompted even more people to visit the property.
The Inquirer has been unable to reach Middleton for comment. His neighbors have told media outlets they haven’t heard from him, either. In turn, they’ve taken to spamming his unrelated Instagram posts, asking him to do something. Middleton “tersely” confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that he’s received their messages.