US News
A Hawaiian property owner was left baffled when a half-million-dollar home was accidentally built on her plot — and the real estate developer slapped her with a lawsuit as the vacant home is being overrun by pooping squatters.
“You already make a mistake, and then you build on my land without my permission. And then now you’re suing me for it,” Annaleine “Anne” Reynolds told The Post about the nightmare ordeal.
“I was so mad. I was so mad that day … that’s a really big mistake to make.”
Now, the three-bedroom, two-bath home in Hawaii’s fastest-growing development zone is running rampant with squatters as Reynolds and the developers remain locked in a legal battle.
The bewildering saga began in 2018 when Reynolds bought the one-acre plot in Puna’s Hawaiian Paradise Park for just $22,500 at a county tax auction.
She planned to move from California to be with her daughter and dreamed of using her new land — located just a mile away from the stunning cliff views of the ocean — to host her meditative healing women’s retreats.
Not only was the parcel in the perfect location, but Reynolds felt a spiritual connection to it.
“I checked all the parameters — north, south, east, west coordinates — and the way that the lot is positioned in relation to the sun rising and setting, how it relates to the stars and my zodiac sign and the zodiac sign of my family and it all aligned. So I was very interested in that property,” Reynolds said.
“I have a deep reverence for the land. And we communicated with the land and offered our respect and she was saying yes, to us.”
But since then, the property has caused nothing but headaches.
Like the rest of the country, Reynolds found her plans stalled by the pandemic and decided to wait in the Golden State for the right time to return to the island.
During that time, a real estate developer had bulldozed the once-vegetation-rich lot to nothing, built a concrete home and sold it to a buyer within just six months — all without Reynold’s knowledge.
She finally learned about the mistake in June of last year, when a real estate broker called and delivered the bad news that he sold the home that was accidentally built on her property for $500,000.
The construction crew was hired by developer Keaau Development Partnership, LLC to build about a dozen homes on properties that the developers bought in the subdivision, Hawaii News Now reported.
An attorney for PJ’s Construction told the outlet the developers didn’t want to hire surveyors for the land, where lots are identified by telephone poles.
The situation quickly became a game of pointing fingers, with Reynolds at the center questioning how neither the developers, construction workers, real estate brokers or local buildings department stepped in before it was too late.
She hired a negotiator to win back her land, shortly before Keaau Development Partnership hit her and everyone else involved with the house’s erection with a lawsuit.
“I did do my due diligence even if I’m the one who was injured in this whole fiasco and then after that, they sue me. I feel like a criminal. What did I do to deserve this? It was super painful,” she said.
“I’m being sued for unjust enrichment if the property stays on my land. It says in the lawsuit that I’m going to be benefiting from your mistake. Well, excuse me, I never wanted it.”
The developers initially tried to sell her the home at a discount or to swap it for the lot next door, both of which she refused — she says she wants her property restored to the way it was before they destroyed it.
Because of the legal lock, the house is sitting vacant and is being overrun with squatters.
Reynolds visited the property in February to find it littered with feces.
“There was poop on the floor. In the hallway bathroom. And on the toilet seat,” she recalled, adding that all the doors were unlocked: “I was shocked.”
What you need to know about squatters in New York:
What are squatter’s rights in New York?
Squatters in New York state can claim a legal right to remain on a property without the owner’s permission after 10 years of living there. However, in New York City a person only needs to be on the property for 30 days to claim squatter’s rights.
Why is it so hard to get rid of a squatter?
Squatters are allowed a wide range of rights once they have established legal occupancy, making it difficult to evict them.
How does someone become a squatter?
Some of the scenarios in which a person becomes a squatter include: a tenant refusing to pay rent, a relative of a former owner refusing to leave the property or even a stranger who entered the property and never left.
According to Manhattan-based law firm Nadel & Ciarlo, squatters must have a reasonable basis for claiming the property belongs to them and must treat the home as if they were an owner — such as doing yard work or making repairs.
How can a property owner get rid of a squatter?
A property owner must first send a 10-day eviction notice and then file a court complaint if the order is ignored. If approved by a judge, the owner can get a summons and have a sheriff evict the squatter.
Why does the law provide squatters with rights?
The law was designed to help prevent long-term tenants from getting evicted. New York City’s law was partially made in response to vacant and abandoned buildings that were becoming a blight on the city.
How can property owners protect themselves from squatters?
Owners should avoid keeping any properties vacant for an extended period of time. They should also make sure the building is secure, has adequate lighting and has surveillance cameras installed.
If a squatter does appear, owners should notify the police quickly before squatter’s rights are established.
The entire situation has not just unleashed a financial toll on Reynolds — who now has to pay property taxes that went from a few hundred to several thousand dollars — but an emotional one.
“It’s affected my ability to work. I mean, who can in their right mind have peace? You need to have a peaceful mind in order to work in the kind of job that I do. It’s like a cloud over my head everywhere I go,” she lamented.
There doesn’t seem to be a clear path for resolution to Reynolds, who wishes only for the opportunity to build her home and retreat on her lush Hawaii property.
She hopes the courts will find her to be the victim and that she will be compensated appropriately.
Peter Olson, an attorney representing the developer, alleged Reynolds is trying to milk the mistake for her own gain.
“My client believes she’s trying to exploit PJ Construction’s mistake in order to get money from my client and the other parties,” Olson told the Associated Press Wednesday of her rejecting an offer for an identical lot.
He also pointed out that most of the lots in jungle-like Hawaiian Paradise Park are identical.
With Post wires
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Barbara Terrio is a seasoned business journalist, delving into the world of finance, startups, and entrepreneurship. With a knack for demystifying complex economic trends, she helps readers navigate the business landscape. Outside of her reporting, Barbara is an advocate for financial literacy and enjoys mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs.
