Accused Squatter Family Claims To Be Legal Tenant; Refuses To Show Lease, Won't Pay Rent Or Leave Foreclosed $1.5M Home

In Manhattan Beach, California, the Daily Breeze reports:

• The buyer of a foreclosed Manhattan Beach house last owned by a former Los Angeles Clipper is suing the occupants, alleging they are refusing to leave the once $2.7 million residence or pay rent. The lawsuit by Soda Partners, a company that purchased the house Sept. 2 for $1.5 million, charges that [a family] and their children are squatters because they have failed to provide documents showing they have a lease to be in the house [...].

• [One occupant] declined to answer questions Friday when contacted by the Daily Breeze. "The lawsuit is in litigation. We don't want to comment on that," [he] said. "Tenants do have rights and I would point that out." The lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges the [occupants] have failed to pay the new owners any money since the sale was completed.

***

• Attorney Ronald Richards, who represents Soda Partners, said no one knows if [they] ever paid rent because they refuse to answer his calls. [...] In [a] brief phone call with the Breeze, [one of the occupants ...] refused to comment on whether he had rented the home from Zeljko Rebraca, who played for three NBA teams, including the Clippers, from 2004-06. [...] If [they] are paying rent or have a lease, they could protect themselves under the tenants' rights laws.

For more, see Manhattan Beach house buyer sues tenants. hijack