Residents of Sylmar home with 20+ RVs in backyard remain after deadline to vacate passes
LOS ANGELES - Despite a court order to vacate by Sunday, many residents living in RVs in the backyard of a Sylmar home remained by Monday morning, and the property owner said she's adamant she will not leave.
A court order issued Wednesday ruled that both the residents living in the RV compound in the backyard and the homeowner would need to vacate by Sunday, July 23, after inspectors found the property uninhabitable due to electrical problems.
The city shut off power at the property earlier in the week, after finding that the RVs were tapping into the electrical grid. The city found out the residents were using splicing connections to the RVs, which have propane gas tanks.
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Cruz Godoy owns the home on Hubbard Street. She told FOX 11's Gina Silva that no one told her anything about the vacate order. Godoy has managed to keep the place going despite city investigations dating back to 2010, including more than 40 citations since 2016, when a lien was put on the property.
Manny, a tenant of the makeshift RV park, and a friend of Godoy's, claimed that the property lies in both the cities of Los Angeles and San Fernando, and he believes that to complaint only refers to part of the encampment. He believes that if the community fixes issues in the complaint, they'll be able to stay.
Some of those who were living in Godoy's backyard have left, including one man who only identified as Jose. He said he was kicked out, not because of a court order, but because he called the press.