A house once featured on Hoarders has been torn down, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The home of Ilona and Roger Stank was deemed unfit for human habitation and demolished by order of the city. It was one of the most infamous houses from the acclaimed reality show. The home of the Stank family was located in the north side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin — up until recently. The local paper reported that it was due for demolition back in mid-December.
“In two weeks, it should be down and gone,” said the city’s Department of Neighborhood Services supervisor of the condemnation section, Chris Kraco at the time.
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The town wanted to demolish the house long before that, but the owners fought to the bitter end to try and save it. The Stanks were reportedly in court for half of the decade arguing that their cluttered home could be salvaged.
City officials declared the Stank family’s home unfit for human habitation in 2016. That was when A&E filmed an episode of Hoarders with the elderly couple, in an attempt to help them avoid demolition. Experts and therapists tried to the Stanks, both of whom could hardly bear to part with any of their amassed possessions. Both claimed that the other was the one with the compulsion.
The house itself was full of things from floor to ceiling, including collections of dishes, food and materials like grocery bags which were being saved. There were narrow pathways to walk through, but even the furniture was partially obscured by the mess in the show.
Outside, the rest of the property was much the same. A city inspector on the show noted that there were stacks of material from six to ten feet high all over the yard, which posed a public safety risk. This included everything from raw building materials to returnable cans and bottles piled together.
Neighbors reportedly complained to the city for years about the Stanks’ home. In the episode, their son also tried to help them, but was frustrated with their stubbornness at times.
The demolition team had to clear out much of the material in the Stanks’ home before they begin their work. At the time, Kraco said that they were doing so cautiously to avoid dangerous accidents.
“They’re working their way toward the back of the property,” he said. “They indicated to us that there are containers of liquid, possibly oils and fuel, in the garage and possibly in the house. They’re taking their time to be cautious.”
By now, the Stanks’ house has been demolished according to Kraco’s timeline. Ilona “Gerri” Stank was still heartbroken when she spoke to reporters.
“I’m so hurt that I don’t know what to say,” she said. “They can stop right now. They don’t have to bulldoze the house.”
