Spray-painted tags similar to those on Los Angeles' iconic have appeared in another unlikely place in the City of Angels. Two Hollywood Hills mansions are the latest targets in a growing trend of turning empty luxury properties into works of illegal street art. The empty pair of properties, purchased in 2012 for $4.
7 million and in 2013 for nearly $7 million, respectively, are located just miles away from each other in the exclusive area, reported. The LA Times, citing neighbors of the estates, reports that the properties have sat abandoned and overrun by squatters and , who have covered the mansions in their tags. Both properties are owned by John Powers Middleton, who produced " " and the TV series "Bates Motel.
" After the vandalism made national headlines, Middleton issued a public apology through a spokesperson. "What's happened to the two properties I own is unacceptable, and no matter what caused it, I own the houses," The LA Times reported Middleton said in a statement. "Given the persistence of the numerous trespassers, it's a struggle.
" The Los Angeles Times reported that it's unclear why the estates have sat empty for so long, but through his lawyer, Middleton pledged to secure the buildings, clean the graffiti, and pay the city for any costs incurred. Middleton is the son of John S. Middleton, a billionaire businessman and owner of the Philadelphia Phillies who sold his family's tobacco business to Altria, Philip Morris' parent company, for $2.
9 billion in 2007, Th.