LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Squatters continue to break into an East Las Vegas Valley home, even after county code enforcement has kicked out intruders and boarded up the property twice.
Clark County officials tell FOX5, code enforcement currently has another open case at the property in the Paradise township near the intersection of Pecos Road and Hacienda Avenue.
Neighbors shared a recent photo of the backyard: the plywood has been ripped off and the inside of the property has been breached. Neighbors also shared with FOX5 surveillance of the squatters who periodically return, and recently returned.
This last time, neighbors yelled and drove the squatters away. Several neighbors tell FOX5, they have taken such steps to make sure the squatters know they are unwelcome in the area.
FOX5 has covered the chronic challenges surrounding the home.
On two previous occasions, July 30 and September 10, code enforcement took steps to board up the property and kick out squatters with the help of Metro Police. A lien of $1,350 was placed on the home for the July 30 abatement.
According to Clark County Assessor records, the home is in the name of a senior who is more than eighty-years-old; the home is also in a trust in the senior’s name. The home has sat vacant for months.
Why can’t police simply kick squatters out?
LVMPD previously told FOX5, in a situation when the landlord is unavailable, code enforcement must take extra steps (if the landlord was present and requested police assistance, Metro Police could easily charge squatters with unlawful entry).
Sometimes, court action is required for Clark County officials or police to intervene and deal with a vacant property. For LVMPD officers and code enforcement to enter into the property on July 30, county officials had to obtain a warrant.
Clark County reiterated its policy regarding squatters:
“Clark County does not remove squatters, however, under Clark County code if a structure is an imminent danger, because it is occupied without power or is otherwise unsafe, Code Enforcement can board up and secure the structure under Clark County Code 11.08. After a structure is declared an imminent danger it is illegal to reenter the structure. CC 11.08.040.”
Neighbors get frustrated with the timeline for action, which typically takes weeks.
“Government: they work too slow. Laws are protecting vagrants,” a concerned neighbor tells FOX5. “I want the bank to take it back over, clean it up and sell it to a decent family that wants to buy a home,” he said.
FOX5 has learned that the senior was relocated out of state. FOX5 reached out to a relative to ask about the family’s plans for the property, and if there’s a search for a long-term solution to deal with squatters.
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