Last month, we told you about a landlord asking for his own rental property to be condemned in Taft.
It centers around a woman, Jim Smith says, is a squatter.
Squatters don't pay rent, they may destroy your home, they won't leave, and worst of all, authorities say theirs hands are tied because it's a civil matter.
It started when Smith rented his house to a man he trusted. Then it was sublet to another person who died.
But, the deceased man's girlfriend, who according to Smith has no rental agreement, stayed without paying rent. And, trash has been piling up on the property.
Smith couldn't get the woman off the property and was hoping the county red tagged it for lack of utilities and concern about the living conditions.
We learned this week the home has been red tagged. "Confirmed the alleged violations which were unsafe housing condition. Lack of water, lack of electricity, junk, trash, very unsanitary conditions. So I ended up red tagging the two structures." said Robert Fenwick from County Code Enforcement.
But, the plan didn't work as Smith had hoped. The woman continues to keep all of her belongings in the front yard while the county is pressing Smith to clean it up.
The woman does not have any utilities turned on in the home, or any rental agreements proving she is a legal tenant.
We talked to an attorney to sort through some of the options Smith has. "The first thing to do is to try to convince her to leave voluntarily. In my opinion, somebody in that position is illegally in possession of real property. There's a criminal statue penal code section 602," said attorney Fawn Dessy.
That penal code refers to trespassing and is a criminal offense that will have to be enforced by police, which is not always easy.
And, a traditional eviction can prove difficult when you don't even know who the person is squatting in your home.
