A beautiful home on Oahu's North Shore collapsed onto the beach and into the ocean after years of erosion finally caught up to the structure.
According to the NY Post, the home's owner is Josh VanEmmerik. VanEmmerik purchased the home in 2021 for one million dollars. At the time of the purchase, the listing description warned of erosion and the effects it was having on the home. Moreover, Ken Bradshaw, who neighbored the home, warned VanEmmerik three times not to buy the home. Apparently, the collapse of the structure was inevitable, given the severe erosion in the area.
VanEmmerik had attempted to rid himself of the house and its issues after remodeling the home. Only a couple years after his purchase, he listed the property for $2.5 million, but had no luck selling the home. The price recently dropped down to $2 million, before the home went crashing into the ocean.
Now, VanEmmerik and the state have been butting heads on who will be required to clean up the mess left by the collapsed property. VanEmmerik had desperately attempted to save the home from the erosion with sandbags, concrete and rocks. The state though, argued that such measures did not meet regulations.
Moreover, now that the house has collapsed on to public beach, the state is seeking financial compensation from the homeowner. VanEmmerik has already been fined $77,000 for violations related to erosion control last year. Now, with his property creating a massive mess on one of Hawaii's public beaches, the state is seeking financial damages from VanEmmerik to restore the area to its natural state. Likewise, officials demand that VanEmmerik clean up his collapsed property.
Oceanfront Home Collapses On To Hawaii's Beach
While the state looks to put the blame on the homeowner, some are coming at state officials with questions. Notably, Kevin Makana Emery, a local to the area, has asked why the government is dragging its feet on the cleanup. Emery argues that the situation has been developing for years, and government should be more efficient in their response.
Regardless of who is to blame, a public beach in Oahu is a mess because of a private property's collapse.
