A dispute over who has the right to live in a Bakersfield home is escalating into a court fight, with neighbors and a woman living at the property offering sharply different accounts of what’s happening.
Within minutes of our Eyewitness News report airing on Wednesday – the woman involved in the property dispute responded to Eyewitness News.
The woman, who asked that her name not be shared, said she has a valid lease and described her experience living in the home as a “nightmare.” In a lengthy text message, she claimed neighbors have harassed her and contacted police multiple times.
She said Bakersfield police came to the property four times and, each time, told her the documentation was valid and that any dispute over the lease is a civil matter, not a criminal one.
Neighbors and the sister of the former homeowner said the property is part of a probate case and questioned whether the lease is legitimate.
Attorney Dennis Beaver said law enforcement typically cannot remove someone during these disputes. “If you call law enforcement, their hands are generally tied, and any proposed legislation to give the Sheriff or police department power to go in there and grab somebody and pull them out has been rejected in California,” Beaver said.
The dispute is now moving through the court system, where a judge will decide who has the legal right to the property.
Bakersfield police were asked about the woman’s claim that officers told her she could remain in the home because of her lease, but there has been no response yet.