It has been referred to be a safety issue, an eyesore, and even a local legend. However, the most infamous house on Panama City Beach is now finally being demolished. Brenda Vines, a neighbor, stated, “We will be happy to get our little street back to normal.”
The tilted house on Gulf Drive, first mangled by Hurricane Michael, then again by the tornado in January of 2024, has stood in a half-collapsed state for nearly two years. What started as storm damage quickly turned into a legal and neighborhood nightmare with no repairs, no cleanup, and no clear end in sight until now. Leaning House Countdown: Judge Orders Demolition or $1K-a-Day fine in Panama City Beach “My husband and I are pretty excited about it because I feel so bad for the neighbors on the either side because they can’t use their beach,” Vines said. Demolition officially began Tuesday after a judge ordered the owners to act or face steep daily fines. Demolition must be complete by Oct. 31, or the owners will be forced to pay $1,000 per day. But they’re already making some massive progress on day one, marking what some are calling the end of an era. Neighbors tell us they’re feeling emotional as they see this day finally arrive. For them, it was an unwanted landmark that they saw daily. “It just continually reminds us of [Hurricane] Michael,” Vines said. But both locals and tourists came out to watch, snapping photos and lingering along the sidewalk. Some said they just had to see it come down with their own eyes. Crews told us last week that the leaning house will be demolished first, then the two neighboring homes will be inspected for damage. Eventually, a new structure will go up in the old landmark’s place.