How did Richardson “Red” Griswold make the city of Chino safer through his work as a court-appointed receiver?
It started when Mr. Griswold was appointed by the San Bernardino County Superior Court as receiver over a single-family home in a neighborhood within the City of Chino, pursuant to the California Health & Safety Code sections 11573.3(f)(2), 17980.7(c) and Code of Civil Procedure section 564(b)(3).
About the Property
Unfortunately, the property already had a long history of perpetuating drug-related activity. It fell into disrepair, despite the city’s years of efforts to put a stop to all illegal activity at the site.
It was occupied by the property owner and about ten other occupants. Since at least 2017, the single-family home had been the subject of numerous citizen complaints and subsequent code enforcement efforts. These violations generally stemmed from drug and criminal nuisance activity, but they also included citations related to an unsafe amount of non-incidental storage throughout the property, including trash, junk, and debris. Unsurprisingly, this had led to a pest infestation.
Additionally, there were inoperable vehicles stored on the property, no smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors in the home, damaged drywall throughout the interior, plumbing and electrical issues left unrepaired, broken window panes and screens, faulty and damaged doors, stucco in need of repair, and a general lack of property maintenance.
Over the years, these violations steadily increased and were not able to be addressed by the property owner. This led to a health and safety concern for the occupants, owner, and greater community.
These photos demonstrate why the receivership remedy was necessary.
Griswold Law’s Involvement
Because the property owner had not been able to stop the nuisance and drug activity occurring at the property, she ultimately was forced out of the home by the other occupants. This resulted in her sharing a room with an attached bathroom that was partitioned off from the main house. She lost control of the property, and it was taken over by the occupants.
Upon being appointed as a health and safety receiver, Mr. Griswold’s team met with Chino’s inspectors and law enforcement. They were able to successfully vacate the property of all unauthorized occupants while offering relocation to the property owner.
The Griswold Law team inspected the property with a contractor to determine the scope of repairs that were needed. After several weeks, the court approved rehabilitation funds to address all of the violations and ensured that the property remained secure during the rehabbing process.
Following the Property’s Rehab
After the rehabilitation was complete, the City of Chino confirmed that the violations at the property were corrected. The receivership project was nearly finished.
The final step was to work with the property owner to address the receivership certificate. She was successful in obtaining a refinance to address the certificate, as well as the city’s outstanding attorney fees and costs.
The property owner was able to return to her home and continue to reside there safely. The City of Chino appreciated the efforts and commitment of Mr. Griswold’s team to maintain a peaceful community for their residents.
Take a look at the photos from the property when the rehabilitation work was complete.
Learn More about the Griswold Law’s Receivership Work
To learn more about the work that the Griswold Law team has completed in California, view our other projects on YouTube. We are proud to be making California safer, one property at a time.
Contact Griswold Law today to find out how we can help to address the health and safety concerns in your community.
