JERRY WISHNOW FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

By court order, this 5,000-square-foot, million-dollar house overlooking Marblehead Harbor came tumbling down yesterday.

JERRY WISHNOW FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

The owner battled with his neighbors for 18 years. After hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, he dropped his latest zoning appeal.

JERRY WISHNOW FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

In the end, the giant claw of an oversize backhoe needed only hours to demolish the house.

JERRY WISHNOW FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

The owner, a financial adviser in his 70s, is moving to a rental apartment in Salem.