Harold and Ada Martin serve dinner to Bobby, a homeless man living in a shed south of Downtown. Harold and Ada were both top honorees in the 1997 Columbus Dispatch Community Service Awards.
City of Industry, California – A group of suspected squatters has taken over an RV storage lot in the City of Industry, causing significant damage and prompting an eviction effort by the property owner. The situation, which has escalated over the past two years, has drawn attention due to the deteriorating condition of the lot and the ongoing disputes between the property owner and the individuals occupying the RVs.
Footage from Tuesday morning showed several RVs with their roofs torn off and garbage scattered across the lot, highlighting the extent of the damage. The lot, which is rented out to the Blackseries RV company, is located in a fenced-off section of the property. However, over the last two years, people have moved into the RVs, and by December, the situation had spiraled out of control.
Gerardo Torres, an employee at a nearby business, described the scene as increasingly dangerous. “All the trailers are damaged, broken, flipped over … they’ve been set on fire so there’s been big fires,” Torres said. “You know we have to go look, make sure it’s not our cars that are caught on fire.”
The situation has become a major concern for both local workers and residents. The lot, which was once used for RV storage, is now a hazardous and chaotic environment, with concerns about fire safety and general well-being. The RVs, many of which are in disrepair, have been left unattended and are often surrounded by piles of debris and garbage, further compounding the problem.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis weighed in on the issue, acknowledging the complex nature of the situation. “While the property is located within the City of Industry, this is a private dispute between the owners and a private party,” she said in a statement. Solis also clarified that the property owner had initiated legal proceedings to reclaim the site in early September 2024. Following the necessary legal steps, the owner recently obtained a judgment for possession of the lot.
Some of the people living in the RVs claim they are paying rent to an unidentified party, though the legitimacy of these claims is still unclear. Despite the confusion, the property manager has now obtained an eviction order and is working to clear the lot.
Efforts to address the situation are underway, but it remains uncertain when the RV storage lot will be fully cleared of the squatters. The dispute underscores the challenges that can arise when private properties are abandoned or left unchecked, and local authorities continue to monitor the situation as it develops.
