Local News

Actions

Neighborhood says squatters are a nightmare

Posted at 6:32 AM, Nov 13, 2015
and last updated 2015-11-13 09:32:33-05
Folks in a northwest Las Vegas neighborhood say they are being terrorized by the people squatting in one of the homes on their block.
 
Homeowners on Meadow Rock Avenue said police and fire have been there several times recently because of the squatters. Several different people told us they came recently because there was a naked man standing on the roof.
 
"He was running up and down the roof screaming," said Jonathan Serfass, who has lived on Meadow Rock for 15 years. "So Metro came, the fire company came, he came down, they took him away for a day or two."
 
Serfass said that guy came back and problems continued.
 
"Pretty much where we're standing, people sitting here smoking crack," he said. "From my house you can clearly see them smoking crack pipes."
 
Serfass was the only neighbor brave enough to speak with us on camera about the squatters, and he understands why after confronting them before.
 
Serfass said the squatters shot his truck because he called the police.
 
"It's just a continuous problem," Serfass said, who is in the process of moving and losing money on his house because of how bad things have become. "It's been going on for two years plus."
 
The Northbrook One community recently transitioned to a new homeowners' association, Taylor Association Management.
 
Action News talked with their CEO, Jason Hoorn.
 
Hoorn said they took over the HOA August first and since then, only had one anonymous call about this problem. He said they were not aware of how bad things are.
 
Action News also contacted police.
 
A new state statute makes it easier for them to get rid of squatters, but they need the homeowners help, which is where this case gets tough.
 
The bank owns this home. Metro reached out to them on October 19 and still have not heard back.