The multi-million dollar mansion next door to “woke” NBA star LeBron James’s California home has been taken over by a group of “professional squatters.”
The mansion was in the process of being sold by prominent Los Angeles realtor John Woodward.
He’s been a realtor in the city for 45 years, selling homes to some of the biggest names in the city, including David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and even Rihanna.
So when he was asked if he wanted to sell a multi-million dollar mansion across the street from LeBron James, “Of course I said yes.”
Woodward sat down for an interview with the Daily Caller’s investigative team to speak about the squatting crisis.
The realtor told the story of 1316 Beverly Grove Place in Beverly Hills.
However, the story of the mansion, in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the country, is straight out of every homeowner’s worst nightmare.
Soon after taking the listing, Woodward got a call from the pool boy letting him know that someone had shown up with a U-Haul to move in.
However, he hadn’t sold the house yet, so he drove down to see what was going on.
Once there, he did what every responsible citizen would do.
He saw people were breaking into his house and called the police to report an active crime.
When the police showed up, the squatters produced a fake lease even though Woodward protested.
However, that’s all it takes in liberal Los Angeles.
With the fake lease, the crime scene became a simple civil matter and the police could do nothing to help.
Woodward was forced to fight for an eviction in a backlogged and ideologically crippled court system.
“These guys are professional squatters,” Woodward told The Daily Caller.
“They know what they’re doing, they know they’re going to eventually be kicked out of there, but they get a free place in a nice neighborhood before the legal system kicks in.”
The squatters certainly made sure they enjoyed their time.
The quiet, affluent neighborhood turned into the biggest party street in Los Angeles.
For months, the squatters hosted all-night raves filled with hundreds of people, illicit drug use, and thumping dance music that lasted into the morning.
They even allegedly sold entry to the parties, making thousands off the stolen property.
It was so brazen, that you would think the police would shut it down after one night — especially in a ritzy neighborhood like Beverly Hills.
One neighbor, Fran Solomon, was forced to flee her dream home when police refused to do anything about the parties for months on end.
“They were loud, they were disruptive,” Solomon explained to the Daily Caller.
“The fire trucks would come in, the police would come in.
“The neighbors would be calling the police and nothing was able to be done about this.
“We realized that they were squatters and squatters, I guess, have rights.”
Finally, the squatters were removed — only after months of a media frenzy.
WATCH:
Squatters can victimize anyone, even in Beverly Hills.
But the average person victimized by squatters isn’t wealthy and connected.
They can’t point to LeBron’s house next door to bring in the media spotlight.
They don’t have thousands to pour into eviction litigation or to pay off squatters to leave.
They don’t have a second home to escape to.
They are just trying to pay the bills.
For many innocent homeowners, their American Dream can be ripped away by criminals.
