The daughters of a Colorado Springs couple claim a homeless woman, her boyfriend and her son took advantage of their father, who has dementia, and took over the family home where they had lived for 50 years.
William Towns, 76, met the woman while walking his dog and saw her living in her car, his daughters wrote in a GoFundMe initiative for legal costs. His wife, Arlene, lived with one of their daughters while he recovered from major heart surgery.
”[The homeless woman] He offered to do some housework for him and he agreed. “My chores began with occasional showers, and then I began sleeping in the guest room of my home for what I knew would only be a few days,” Towns' daughters wrote.
But the woman “quickly took advantage” of the man, transporting two disabled cars, many of her belongings, her 15-year-old son, her boyfriend and her cat into her home.
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William and Arlene Towns, who are in their 70s, are forced to live with their daughter and are struggling to pay for legal fees. Her daughter claims a homeless woman took advantage of her father, who suffers from dementia, and forced him to live in her home indefinitely for several nights until he got back on his feet. (Courtesy of Christina Elmore)
”[The boyfriend] “When asked to leave, he harasses my father, family, and friends. He has repeatedly provoked arguments with my father and with some unidentified people who came to the compound to look for him. ” the girls wrote. Outside. “
Currently, Towns is “very uncomfortable having these people or their associates in her home and is concerned about her safety when she is in her home.”
The daughters said that illegal occupiers had started a “mushroom cultivation operation'' in the couple's living room, that there had been “drug use by minors'' in the house, and that they had caught a security camera installed in the house. He alleges that he “intentionally discharged” the firearm. “Turn on faucets and hoses just to let the water run,” and “keep all the lights in the house on 24/7.”
“They spend their days as if it were their own home, rummaging through drawers and cupboards, rummaging through storage, and using every appliance, dish, tool, and food in the refrigerator and pantry,” the GoFundMe says. states.
“At no time did our father or mother, or any of our family members, have any agreement with them that they or any other occupants could take up permanent residence in the house or premises, but they stay in the house longer, so within a few days they have rights to the house and can do as they please.
“This is not their first rodeo. They are taking full advantage of the system and know the law is in their favor, and through this process they will receive free housing and utilities for several months. They seem to be living with confidence.”
“What's the difference between what happened in Colorado and a home invasion?”
The Townses live on Social Security on a fixed income and cannot afford the exorbitant legal fees associated with rescuing an unwelcome guest, their daughters wrote. They write that attorneys charge $1,800 in initiation fees and $400 to $500 per hour. Meanwhile, the families claim that the squatters “receive free legal services, have their legal fees waived, and are provided with all necessary documents directly, all on a golden platter.”
The family wrote that they had asked Colorado Springs police for “exhaustive” help. “Often, dispatch never comes, sometimes it takes over 24 hours for police to arrive, and even when they do come, they can't get permission to enter the property even after talking to the woman and her boyfriend. Sometimes they can't do anything.
“We feel so helpless, and with each passing day and each failed attempt to seek help from law enforcement, we have less and less faith in the system's ability to keep our communities safe.” The girls are writing. “We don't know what else to do and just sitting there watching our parents scared to live in our home for months on end is intolerable, unfair and absolutely unacceptable.” I can’t.”
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The Colorado Springs Police Department told FOX 21 that the alleged squatters were not trespassing because they were invited inside, and that the sheriff's office is handling the eviction. The lawsuit would likely require a court order, a judge's decision and enforcement by El Paso County. (Colorado Springs Police Department)
colorado springs police department he told Fox 21. Because the alleged squatters were invited inside, there was no trespassing, and the eviction was handled by the Sheriff's Office, and the case likely would require a court order, a judge's decision, and enforcement by El Paso County. He said he would.
Fox News Digital was unable to reach the Colorado Springs Police Department and El Paso County Sheriff's Office for comment at the time of reporting.
“From a legal perspective, the key here is permission. If people are not invited into the home, they are squatters, trespassers, and can be reported directly to law enforcement.” said real estate litigator Kevin Hughes. A partner at California-based Foundation Law Group told FOX News Digital. “But ultimately they will have to go through the legal eviction process… They have rights, they have a right to due process.
“What you have to do is hire an eviction lawyer and ultimately, write a letter and give clear notice that this ends any tenancy that they have and that they have until 2019. ” This specific date is the beginning of the process. ”
If the intruders don't leave by then, Hughes said, the couple can file an eviction complaint. After another 30 to 45 days, a judge could order sheriff's deputies to remove the unwanted family members.
California's squatting law allows for potential occupancy after 30 days in a property.
Kevin Hughes, a partner at the Foundation Legal Group, detailed the difficult process the couple would face to get their home back. (provided)
“The reality is that even after you start this process with a letter of notification, these people are probably going to be staying under your roof for several months,” Hughes said.
Mr Hughes said the father's mental health was said to be deteriorating, which could further complicate the situation rather than provide a legal remedy.
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“The only question is whether the parents have the cognitive capacity to be good people. [legal] Mr Hughes said: 'Advising the client and giving advice and direction to the solicitor…otherwise you will find yourself in a situation where you may need a power of attorney, a legal guardian or a conservator. And it's complicated, time-consuming and expensive,” Hughes said. , that's another lawyer…. But we just want to get rid of the squatters. And we are already considering how long it will take and how much it will cost. ”
“What's the difference between what happened in Colorado and a home invasion? Other than the people who broke in felt safe? And, you know, I brought a toothbrush. Well, the law supports that. It doesn't seem like it should. That's crazy. And the law should change because it's crazy.”
