Nuisance Property Receivership | Chino, CA

Richardson “Red” Griswold was appointed by the San Bernardino County Superior Court as receiver over a single-family home in a neighborhood within the City of Chino pursuant to the California Health & Safety Code sections 11573.3(f)(2), 17980.7(c) and Code of Civil Procedure section 564(b)(3).  

The Property

The Property had a long history of perpetuating drug-related activity while the Property fell into disrepair, despite the City’s years of efforts to halt all such illegal activity. The Property was occupied by the Property Owner and approximately 10 other occupants.

Since at least 2017, the Property had been the subject of citizen complaints and subsequent code enforcement efforts by the City. The violations generally stemmed from the drug and criminal nuisance activity, but also included an unsafe amount of non-incidental storage throughout the exterior and interior of the property, including trash, junk, and debris, which not surprisingly had led to a pest infestation. Additionally, there were inoperable vehicles, no smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, damaged drywall throughout the interior, plumbing and electrical repairs, replacement of broken windowpanes and screens, replacement of faulty or damaged doors, stucco repairs and general lack of property maintenance. These violations had been steadily increasing in severity through the years.

While the Property Owner had allowed the nuisance and drug activity to occur at the Property, she ultimately was forced out of her home by the occupants at the Property, resulting in her living in a room with an attached bathroom that was partitioned off from the main house. She had essentially lost control of the Property and it was taken over by the occupants.

The Resolution

Mr. Griswold’s team met with the City inspectors and law enforcement and was successfully able to vacate the Property of all unauthorized occupants and offered relocation to the Property Owner. Upon clearing the Property, they inspected the conditions of the Property with a contractor and after several weeks of Court approved rehabilitation to address the various violations and ensure that the Property remained secure, the City of Chino confirmed that the violations at the Property were corrected.

Following the completion of the rehabilitation at the Property, Mr. Griswold’s team worked with the Property Owner to address the receivership certificate. The Property Owner was successful in obtaining a refinance to address the certificate, as well as the City of Chino’s outstanding attorney fees and costs. The Property Owner was able to return to her home and continue to reside there safely.