Problematic squatter house in West Hollywood demolished

A years-long battle to demolish a squatters' den has come to fruition after crews tore down the charred remains of a 100-year-old bungalow.

"When I was out here I started crying a little bit because I was so relieved," resident Stefanie LaHart said. "Just the stress of the last two years ... I was finally able to exhale."

LaHart said squatters would break into the property despite it getting boarded up a couple of times.

"They would immediately rip off the boards," she said. 

Neighbors would call law enforcement and even the city to handle the situation but little was done. 

"They would come out, scare people off the property and be back in 10 minutes," LaHart said. "It was like we were being held hostage."

The situation escalated from an annoyance to danger on Thanksgiving when the house caught on fire, with flames shooting out the windows, nearly touching some nearby homes. After this, the city ordered the developer to hire 24-hour security and to demolish the home by Jan. 5. 

The crews started the demolition a day before the deadline. 

"I'm very happy and relieved the house was finally demolished," neighbor Geoffrey Buck said. "It's a safer neighborhood now."

While it was the right thing to do, many neighbors wish it didn't have to come to this.

"I'm sad the house was demolished in the first place," Buck said. "It was a California bungalow here for 100 years and the developer left it in a bad shape."

Despite the demolition starting, the property owner must maintain around-the-clock security.

--Joy Benedict contributed to this report.