A dream home on Oahu’s North Shore became a nightmare when it collapsed into the ocean — and now the state of Hawaii is suing the homeowner, Josh VanEmmerik, for allowing it to happen.
Footage captured by stunned locals shows VanEmmerik’s once-luxurious oceanfront home being torn apart and swallowed by the waves.
The wreckage left debris strewn on a public beach, prompting an immediate outcry from neighbors and state officials.
The state isn’t letting VanEmmerik off easy. According to their lawsuit, debris from the collapse — including concrete, wood and broken glass — now litters the beach, which is public land.
Officials ask him to clean up the mess and seek financial compensation to restore the area to its natural state.
“This is the beach where my daughter plays. It’s literally covered in broken glass,” wrote a local, Kevin Makana Emery, on Instagram under a video of the shocking scene.
VanEmmerik, 31, who owns a bar in Kailua, was fined a hefty $77,000 last year for violations related to erosion control at his home.
VanEmmerik bought the house for $1 million in 2021 with the listing description warning of erosion. After remodeling the property, he listed the house a few years later for $2.5 million.
Before falling into the ocean, the price recently dropped to $2 million.
The homeowner had taken desperate measures to save the property, placing sandbags, concrete and rocks in a futile attempt to fight off the encroaching ocean. But his efforts did not comply with state regulations, and officials say he failed to remove the unauthorized structures in time.
“Private landowners take a risk when they allow structures to be so close to the shoreline,” Deputy Attorney General Danica Swenson told Hawaii News Now.
The suit argues that the debris became “undesirable material” on state land the moment the house collapsed.
All beaches in Hawaii up to high tide are public property and the state is committed to cleaning up debris for the safety of its residents.
Locals are angry, both with VanEmmerik and the state, with some accusing the government of dragging its feet.
“This situation has been going on for years. Why are you NOT here to clean this up?” Emery wrote, criticizing the lack of action by state officials.
Longtime residents, such as neighbor Ken Bradshaw, said the collapse was inevitable, given the severe erosion in the area.
“Erosion is going to happen … I warned it myself three times – don’t buy this property,” Bradshaw told the Island News at the time.
Now, with the wreckage of VanEmerik’s dream home washed up in the ocean, the state is moving in to clean up the mess — and make sure he pays for it.
Demolition crews were seen taking down the remains of the house, but the damage to the beach remains a sore spot for locals.
The state hopes to restore the beach to its former glory, but it could be a costly and lengthy process.
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