A vacant, graffiti-covered mansion in the Hollywood Hills, once overrun with squatters, has a new facelift and is back on the market.

For years, the six-bedroom, 12-bath mansion at 1754 Sunset Plaza sat empty after its owner, John Powers Middleton, appeared to abandon the property, creating a major eyesore and hazard for neighbours, Realtor reports

In 2022, police arrested an armed man and his dog who had been living on the property. A year later, they returned and arrested three other squatters, though reports say that up to 20 people were living in the house at the time, covering the walls with anti-rich graffiti.

Mr Middleton, a Hollywood producer and son of Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton, purchased the mansion in 2012, and owned a second property on Mullholland that similarly fell to seed. He sent a mea culpa to his neighbours via Fox News in 2024.

“I would like to apologise to the people of Los Angeles and especially to my neighbours. What’s happened to the two properties I own is unacceptable, and no matter what caused it, I own the houses,” he said at the time.

For years, the six-bedroom, 12-bath mansion at 1754 Sunset Plaza has sat empty. Picture: Realtor

On October 10, the property will go on auction with a $US2.2 million reserve. It is also listed separately for $US4.4 million. Picture: Realtor

The mansion owner is John Powers Middleton, who is the son of Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton.

In 2025, a judge ordered Mr Middleton to sell the Sunset Plaza property to settle debts he owed to the Sitrick Group. Mr Middleton had hired the crisis management firm as part of an ongoing lawsuit against a former producing partner. The judge found Mr Middleton owed Sitrick nearly $US2 million, though it appears that instead of selling the property, Middleton let it go to foreclosure in February of this year.

On Oct. 10, the property goes up for auction. Bidding starts at $2.8 million ($US2.2 million), though the listing agent, Phil Boroda with Coldwell Banker, believes it will go for much more than that. Boroda and his partner Rosa Valencia have also listed the property at $6.3 million ($US4.4 million).

He tells Realtor that potential buyers should temper their expectations. The home has a fresh coat of paint on the exterior, but it is still going to require millions in repairs.

“Every sink, toilet, and window was sledgehammered, and acid was poured in the pool,” he says.

The home has had a fresh splash of paint, but it will still require millions in renovations. Picture: Realtor

The kitchen will need an entire renovation. Picture: Realtor

Every sink and window was sledgehammered, and acid was poured into the pool, the listing agent said. Picture: Realtor

Mr Boroda, who specialises in REO and foreclosed properties, says the house is a great opportunity for the right person, though he concedes it’ll most likely end up in the hands of an investor.

“It’s 9,000 square feet of ugliness,” he says. “It’s not a very normal floor plan. It’s got four levels, a lot of stairs. The views are amazing, though.”

The home was originally built by Richard Tuil as a tribute to the builder’s late mother. Dubbed Villa Allegra, the home grew into a sprawling mass with three swimming pools, multiple decks, and a helipad.

In a 2024 interview with KABC, neighbour Alexis Gorbis called the state of the home “tragic.”

“I (virtually) grew up in that house. I saw it when it was very small, and there wasn’t too much to it. I grew up with the son of the previous builder — and to see how it is now is just beyond words.”

Whoever buys it will likely have to factor in a security detail for the home until it’s made liveable again, since the house has a proven history with squatters.

“You never could monitor a house 24 hours a day, but you can only do the best you can,” Boroda says. “You just have to outsmart the criminals.”

Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and was republished with permission.