A landowner was left shocked when she received a phone call informing her that a $500,000 home had been built on it by mistake.
Annaleine "Anne" Reynolds acquired a one-acre (0.40-hectare) plot in Hawaiian Paradise Park, nestled within the Big Island's Puna district, back in 2018 during a county tax auction.
She spent approximately $22,500 on the stunning plot of land.
As reported by ABC7, while Reynolds was biding her time in California amid the pandemic, waiting for the opportune moment to utilize her newfound property, she received a startling call last year from a real estate broker.
The broker informed her that a house had been sold on her property.
The hiccup emerged when local developer Keaau Development Partnership enlisted PJ's Construction to erect around a dozen homes on the properties acquired within the subdivision.
However, a misstep led to the construction of a single home on Reynolds' designated lot.
Now embroiled in a legal dispute, Reynolds - alongside the construction company, the architect, and others - finds herself at the receiving end of a lawsuit from the developer.
"There's a lot of fingers being pointed between the developer and the contractor and some subs," remarked Reynolds' attorney, James DiPasquale.
According to court documents, Reynolds rebuffed the developer's proposal to swap her lot for a neighboring one of equivalent size and value.
"It would set a dangerous precedent if you could go onto someone else's land, build anything you want, and then sue that individual for the value of it," DiPasquale asserted.
Peter Olson, an attorney representing the developer, highlighted the uniformity of most lots in the jungle-like Hawaiian Paradise Park.
"My client believes she's trying to exploit PJ Construction's mistake in order to get money from my client and the other parties," Olson disclosed to The Associated Press.
In response, Reynolds has filed a counterclaim against the developer, contending that she was unaware of the "unauthorized construction."
An attorney representing PJ's Construction revealed to Hawaii News Now that the developer had opted against hiring surveyors.
Meanwhile, a neighbor informed the Honolulu news station that the vacant house had become a magnet for squatters.
Speaking of squatters, there appears to be a worrying trend of people claiming squatter's rights throughout the country, particularly in New York.
Adele Andaloro, 47, was taken into custody after trying to regain control of her family's $1 million home, inherited from her deceased parents, as reported by ABC’s Eyewitness News.
The conflict ignited when Andaloro initiated the sale process of the home last month, only to discover squatters had occupied the residence, even going so far as to replace the front door and locks.
Fed up with the situation, Andaloro, accompanied by a local TV crew, made her way to her family's residence on 160th Street on February 29, where she enlisted a locksmith to change the locks, leading to a tense confrontation.
Law enforcement intervened, escorting two individuals off the property, revealing a legal loophole allowing individuals to claim "squatter’s rights" after just 30 days of residence in New York City.
Expressing her concern about losing her home, Andaloro stated: "By the time someone does their investigation, their work, and their job, it will be over 30 days and this man will still be in my home. I’m really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home."
