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A vacant Berwyn Heights house that has been called a neighborhood eyesore for years because of its boarded up windows and tall grass has been torn down.

The property, at 8507 58th Ave., had been in disrepair for three years after a contractor hired by the owners stopped working and left with their money, city and Prince George's County officials said.

It took months of intervention by the town's mayor and administrator, a County Council member and the county's Department of Environmental Resources to get the necessary court order and permit to raze the building.

At the time it was demolished, the house had been in bank foreclosure, Mayor Cheye Calvo said.

The most recent owners, who bought the property Oct. 5, could not be reached for comment.

The 10,000-square-foot lot is on the market for $57,000, according to the Web site for Exit Results Realty, which is selling the house. The assessed value is $60,600, according to a state real-estate database.

After the lot is sold, Calvo said the $12,000 in demolition costs footed by the county will be repaid.

One neighbor said the demolition was a relief.

"In a word: hallelujah! It was such an eyesore and now it's gone," Judith Wilson said. "I don't know what will happen with it now, but in any event, I'm thrilled."