California squatter files restraining order against homeowner

0518 California SquatterFair Oaks, Calif. — For homeowner Sandra Forbes, the battle against an alleged squatter has taken a troubling turn.

“Well I know she filed a restraining order, I have that right here, it’s signed by a judge,” said Forbes. A restraining order from a woman Forbes said has been living in her house without her permission for the past two months. Forbes said, “Apparently there’s a history behind her.”

Forbes isn’t the first person to face the same problem. She said, “She’s just too good at it to not have done it before.”

Two other people say they have been victims of this woman.  Susan Haltom is one of them.  She says her nightmare began in 2012, “We had no idea what we were up against.”

She says their landlord/tenant relationship began cordially, and more importantly, legally. Haltom said, “She signed a lease, she presented herself very well.” But that quickly changed.

Haltom said the woman lived in her Fair Oaks home and paid rent for four months, and then abruptly stopped. Haltom and her husband pleaded with the tenant to leave. “We gave her ample time and we said if you just leave. We won’t bother you. We won’t file a law suit against you. So we gave her ample time and she never left,” said Haltom.

A year and a half later and after taking some legal action, the woman finally left — seemingly overnight.

In Forbes’ case, the woman claims she signed a lease as well, but Forbes says it’s fake, adding that she has never met this woman.

The woman who we are not identifying issued the following statement: “There is always more than one side to a story. I am not a criminal. I did not force the Forbes out of a house.”

Thursday evening, a U-haul truck was parked in front of the home. Neighbors say they saw the woman unloading more furniture.
Susan Haltom said, “It feels like the squatters have way more rights than the landlords and it’s unbelievable because it feels like the squatters have way more time on their hands. We are just working 9 to 5 trying to make a living.”

Forbes said law enforcement have their hands tied, unable to help. “I said to my husband, ‘I feel like I’m going to wake you up any minute and say I had the craziest dream… or nightmare.’”

The woman has declined to speak on camera and has declined to provide any documentation of her lease.

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