SAN DIEGO — The San Diego City Attorney's Office, code enforcement, and police paid a visit to a hoarder house in Ocean View Hills after CBS 8 aired a story on the property Monday.
Working For You
"I was in shock, a neighbor of mine said the police, city officials [are there] they all have badges," said next-door neighbor Eddie Mead.
He said the homeowner refused to come out and talk with them.
Mead said just seeing that kind of action in just two days, gives him hope.
"Because of what you aired, everyone in the county of San Diego plus, saw what was going on here. And for some magical reason, there was a reaction within hours. And I will say, without Channel 8 nothing would've happened," said Mead.
Mead and his neighbors told CBS 8 they have been dealing with this eyesore for more than a decade. They said they have been harassed by the property owner and have been living in fear of her for a very long time. Some have filed restraining orders against her.
Court documents reveal since 2009, there have been dozens of interactions between code enforcement and the property owner, Lisa Golden.
In 2021, the court appointed a receiver to the property, meaning an outside entity took it over, cleaned it up, and got it up to code. However, neighbors said since then, it has ended up back the way it started.
The receiver, Richardson Griswold, spoke to CBS 8 Thursday morning.
"We don't represent either side we don't advocate for either side. We're simply there to carry out the orders of the court. Whatever the court directs us to do, that's what we'll do," said Griswold.
"This case has had a variety of challenges, strong personalities, certainly a lack of cooperation. I can understand it's been very painful for neighbors, the community, even on the court system to be honest," he said.
Golden has been in contact with CBS 8 and she claims her house looks the way it does because of the contractors that came in in 2021. She said they damaged it. She has filed numerous lawsuits.
A court date regarding the receivership is scheduled for March 29. The city attorney's office said they will oppose the receivership being removed from the property until it has been cleaned up.
City responds
San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott sent CBS 8 the following statement:
"The site was thoroughly cleaned after obtaining an injunction and getting the property placed into receivership. Unfortunately, the property has slipped back into disrepair. To prepare for the March 29th court date, members of the City Attorney’s Office and other City departments inspected the property yesterday to document issues of concern. The current situation is clearly unacceptable and our goal of restoring the quality of life in this neighborhood has not been met. The City Attorney’s Office will continue its fight to ensure that the nuisance and illegal conditions we’ve observed at this property are eliminated."
At CBS 8, we are always Working for You and our community. This is a station promise that we will go the extra mile to solve a problem our audience can’t solve themselves. We want to hear your ideas on how we can cover and help our community. If you have a story idea, please email us at workingforyou@cbs8.com.
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