Man says friend he co-owns West Hollywood condo with cleared out his side: 'It's been a nightmare'

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- A man who came home from a trip to find his West Hollywood condo emptied out, including all his clothes and furniture, says it wasn't a stranger who did it. He's now issuing a warning to others.

Deano Sutter says his friend, who he co-owns the condo with, cleaned out his side of the unit while he was out of town.

"It's been a nightmare," he told Eyewitness News. "It has been a constantly-escalating harassment."

Sutter, who is a mindset coach with a large social media following, says the trouble began last November when his friend stopped paying his part of the mortgage.

"I had invested, initially, with him in order to save him from going into bankruptcy, because he's been a friend for 15 years."

Then things started to escalate. Sutter says he was locked out of the common area and the bathroom. The condo door was then screwed shut from the inside.

Last week, when he returned home, virtually everything was gone. Even the container holding his protein powder.

The Los Angeles Police Department is now investigating after Sutter said the co-owner sent him a letter demanding $2,000 to return all his belongings.

"Every last underwear, every single medication - including essential medications that I need, gone."

Sutter believes his friend, who was seen on camera rearranging Sutter's remaining belongings, is suffering from mental health challenges. He now fears for his safety.

The condo is now likely headed to foreclosure as Sutter tries legal action to force a sale.

He says all he wants is for the nightmare to end, and to warn others to always protect themselves when it comes to buying property with someone else.

"One of my big takeaways is you always, always, always get everything written. For the agreements about the space, about everything. Especially when there's money and real estate involved. Home is supposed to be your safe space, and this has been anything but safe and comforting and... home."

In the meantime, police are investigating Sutter's co-owner for grand theft as he seeks a temporary restraining order and tries to move forward with the sale of the condo.