Homeless Camps In Washington Neighborhood Lead To Expensive Lawsuit

Homeowners in Pierce County were shocked to face a $32,000 lawsuit resulting from homeless camps in their neighborhood. They were previously unaware that they owned the property where the encampment is.

County Sues Homeowners Due to Homeless Camps

The homeless have set up camps on the shaded portions of the Golden Oak neighborhood. Homeowners, who were previously unaware that these portions belonged to them, were surprised to find a lawsuit amounting to $32,000 from the county government.

Percy Williams, one of the residents, explained his confusion and frustration about the situation.

“They never told us about this at all. I never knew that we owned that property,” Williams told local news.

In a circumstance like this, the county would usually turn to the homeowners association. However, the Golden Oak neighborhood does not have an HOA in place. As such, 22 homeowners are on the hook for the homeless camps.

“And that’s the problem,” attorney Bryce Dilley said, representing the company that initially purchased the lots and sold them to the developer. “Not having an association is the county can’t go after the association, but they have to go after the homeowners themselves.”

Other residents are understandably just as concerned and frustrated. They have tried to get the homeless people to move and even called the police. Those attempts amounted to nothing.

More Than Just a Passing Problem

Should the homeowners fail to fix the problem, the county can also place a lien on every home in addition to the lawsuit. This would cause their property taxes to shoot up.

Apart from the clean-up, the county also expects the homeowners to secure the property. Otherwise, they could face another lawsuit if homeless camps start forming again.

A homeowners association could help in this situation by liaising with the local government and authorities. An HOA can also provide added security and maintenance services. Unfortunately, Golden Oak does not have an HOA to rely on.