The Los Angeles Board of Building and Safety Commissioners issued a nuisance declaration Tuesday for a burned-out, abandoned home in Valley Glen, following advocacy from local residents and the councilman
representing the area.
In a unanimous vote, the commissioners designated the home at 13455 W. Bassett St. as a nuisance, meaning the owner will be required to clean up and demolish the property at his or her own expense. If the property owner fails to comply, the city will carry out the work and bill the owner. If the owner refuses to pay, the City Council can place a lien on the property.
Appearing before the board Tuesday morning, City Councilman Adrin Nazarian said neighbors have had to endure squatters, fire debris, drug use, discarded needles, trash and criminal activity at the site for more than a year and a half. He urged the commissioners to issue a nuisance declaration and give the community long-overdue relief.
“I refuse to leave our residents to deal with the consequences of owners who have allowed their properties to deteriorate for far too long,” Nazarian said in a statement.
“Our neighbors have been patient, and they’ve done their due diligence to advocate for a solution. This milestone matters because this isn’t simply about appearances. It’s about the quality of life of the people who live nearby, families who deserve to feel safe in their own neighborhood, and residents who shouldn’t have to keep asking the City to address the same dangerous conditions,” Nazarian added.
According to the councilman’s office, the property received its first code violation in April 2025. That same month, a major fire destroyed the single-family home, which was red-tagged and left entirely unsecured.
The owner was ordered to remove the fire debris and address the unsanitary condition of the pool, but failed to do so.
Nazarian’s office, the City Attorney’s Office, and the Department of Building and Safety repeatedly urged the owner to act. LADBS issued two orders to comply, and both deadlines passed. In 2026, the matter escalated to a criminal complaint against the owner. Despite all of these efforts, the owner has taken no steps to abate the nuisance.
“This is a beautiful neighborhood with many families. With an unsecured, abandoned property that anyone can walk into, it doesn’t feel safe like it used to,” Valley Glen resident Tina Houston said in a statement.
She described the property as an “eyesore,” with overgrown vegetation, trash and needles scattered across the ground.
“This has been a long time coming, and I want to thank the Valley Glen Neighborhood Council for their advocacy and Councilmember Nazarian’s office for taking care of this once and for all,” Houston added.
During the hearing, the board also declared a second property, located at 10926 Hartsook St., a nuisance. The vacant structure has been cited for substandard conditions, including extensive dilapidation, accumulated debris and hazardous materials, overgrown vegetation, squatters, and severe sanitation issues.
It is the latest in a pattern of neglect by the owner, who has previously had properties on Otsego St. declared nuisances, according to Nazarian’s office.
The council also approved a motion Tuesday ordering city staff to report within 30 days on a citywide vacant and public nuisance property abatement program. Nazarian’s proposal aims to identify, prioritize, secure, clean, repair or demolish the city’s most dangerous vacant and nuisance properties.
