Mayor Bass and Councilwoman Raman clash over abandoned Studio City property

An abandoned property in Studio City is at the center of a dispute between Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Nithya Raman.

Neighbors said their complaints about the empty lot were ignored for years until a fire burned part of the property and neighbor Kayt Miranda's garage early on Wednesday morning. 

"At 3:30 a.m., the firefighters came and banged on our door," Miranda said. "It was literally seconds away from the whole garage area going up in flames."

After selling in 2017, neighbors said a developer demolished the home on the property but couldn't afford to rebuild after the pandemic. Miranda said she's been filing complaints about the property with the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety since 2021, after squatters took over the lot. 

"They're very comfortable," she said. "We've seen them move bookcases and clothing racks. They consider this their home. 

Miranda added that her new neighbors started the fire and have been violent in the past. 

"There's been one that lived here for a couple years," she said. "Last year, he assaulted my gardener and was arrested. Recently, there have been four people on the property."

In addition to Miranda's complaints, neighbors said they've complained to Raman's office about the abandoned property, but nothing has been done. 

Raman said in a statement that her staff "flagged this property directly to the Mayor's Office" last November.

"We have used every avenue we can to sound the alarm, and nothing was done," Raman stated. 

Amid a mayoral election, Bass shifted the blame to Raman before visiting the community and talking to neighbors. 

"The councilwoman has my cell phone number," Bass said during a press conference outside of the property. "The councilwoman knows that she can pick up that phone and call me any hour of the day, any day of the week. That never happened."

Neighbors demanded action from Bass and Raman rather than blaming each other.

"They're pointing fingers at each other, but at the end of the day we need action," neighbor Adriana Serrano said. 

On Thursday afternoon, Bass' office sent over Building and Safety crews that issued an eminent hazard order and placed a temporary fence around the property. 

"This whole issue was avoidable," Miranda said. "It didn't have to happen. Now, I'm talking to insurance and lawyers. I have to repair part of my property because of all of this."