A woman who managed to stay in a Los Angeles Airbnb for 575 days without paying rent has finally been evicted after she was escorted off the property by Los Angeles Police Department officers.
The news was first reported by the Daily Mail.
Elizabeth Hirschhorn, 55, was removed from the $3.5m Brentwood home she’d been staying at since September 2021 on Friday. She had originally booked a six-month stay in the property’s luxury guesthouse but squatted after the term ended, the outlet reported.
She apparently cited Covid-19 and an illegally built shower as her reasons for staying.
Homeowner Sascha Jovanovic, 61, had previously attempted to legally evict the woman, who countersued and subsequently demanded $100,000 to leave the property.
The former tenant and three male friends were spotted carrying boxes out of the property and into a white van, the outlet reported. After spotting the men on the property, Mr Jovanovic called the police, who oversaw Ms Hirschhorn’s departure.
“I’m very relieved and also a bit overwhelmed,” the landlord told the outlet. “It was a long time coming but now she is finally out! This weekend is going to be very positive.”
According to People, Mr Jovanovic immediately had the locks changed once it appeared that Ms Hirschhorn would be vacating the property for good.
However, Ms Hirschhorn’s attorney, Amanda Seward, alerted the landlord’s legal team that her client had planned on coming back to the residence. She further accused him of harassment.
“Ms Hirschhorn had discussed with me concern over the constant harassment and surveillance, and also the desire to get the things repaired that needed to be repaired.
“Subject to my discussions with Ms Hirschhorn, please be advised you have no authority to change the locks or to assume abandonment of the property,” the attorney told the landlord.
To that, Mr Jovanovic’s attorney, Sebastian Rucci, responded, “We changed the locks when Ms Hirschhorn left. Her lawyer responded that we jumped the gun as she intended to return after leaving,” the attorney told the Daily Mail.
“I responded that she was not allowed back, and the burden is now on her to go to court to regain possession.”
Mr Rucci filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of prejudice in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday. A judge ruled to dismiss an eviction case against Ms Hirschhorn. However, a case for damages against the 55-year-old remains pending.
