California woman battles squatters in late uncle's New Mexico home, incurs $20K in legal fees
Sandra Pimentel, 66, inherited her uncle Joe Luna's one-bedroom home when he died aged 82 - but she was not prepared for the fight she would have on her hands to get it back.
A shocking scene unfolded for a California woman who headed to Las Cruces, New Mexico, with the plan of taking care of her late uncle's estate, only to find that squatters had unlawfully claimed his home.
Sandra Pimentel, 66, a retired social services worker, inherited her Uncle Joe Luna's one-bedroom house upon his passing at the age of 82.
She discovered to her horror that while Uncle Joe was in hospice care, squatters took over the $120k property, originally owned by her grandparents, and left it in disarray, reports SWNS.
Sandra faced a year-long courtroom battle to evict the unwanted residents, racking up $20k in legal costs before she could reclaim her family home.
In the meantime, she doled out hundreds of dollars each week for nearly three months to stay in a motel, all while the squatters occupied her uncle's home without paying a dime.
The invaders left the home in terrible condition, littered with garbage, and according to Sandra's estimates, it will take another $7k to make it habitable again.
"I felt like I was the owner, but they had more rights than I did," lamented Sandra. "Even after the sheriffs got them out, they were still threatening us."
Before his health took a downturn, Joe, who was a retired veteran, had resided in the house.
Prior to his death, he had allowed a relative and her boyfriend to park their mobile home on his property temporarily and use his electricity. However, Sandra stated, "they were never supposed to go inside the house."
That changed when Joe suffered a fall, leading to hospitalization, hospice care, and ultimately, his passing away in December 2023.
However, while he was in the hospital, a family member and her boyfriend moved into the house without permission.
Later, another individual arrived, claiming to be renting the property from the woman.
Sandra discovered this through a cousin and rushed to Las Cruces as soon as possible in February 2023.
She brought documentation and a will to probate court, proving she was the estate's legal representative.
This was just the beginning of a long and challenging process.
After hiring multiple lawyers, some of whom charged hundreds of dollars only to say they couldn't help, she finally found one who filed a deed of distribution and assisted her in legally evicting the squatters in March 2025.
However, by then, a full year had passed. Sandra recalls the day law enforcement finally removed them.
Officers, fearing violence, told Sandra to stay back as they pounded on doors and peered through shattered glass.
"One sheriff pulled the curtain back and saw them inside," she said. "They weren't answering. It took five minutes to get them out.
Sandra described the scene: "Then one of the girls started saying she had never been served and wanted to go back in."
But the sheriff pushed back.
Sandra recounted what transpired: "He told her, 'That's not true. I even posted on Monday. It's Friday. You had all the time to get out.'"
Three people finally vacated the property, but the threats didn't stop. Texts continued, and Sandra was warned to keep documentation ready and call the police if they returned.
"We think it was about drugs," Sandra said. "They wanted something really bad. But I didn't respond to the texts - I didn't want it to become a he said, she said situation."
Her new home was in shambles; every window was shattered. Sandra's response was firm: installing gates on her doors, boarding up spaces, and tidying the yard.
She returned to California but continued footing the bills for repairs, hiring a handy man through Nextdoor — an app connecting locals, businesses, and agencies within a neighborhood— to spruce up the place while living there rent-free.
"I sleep now, but I didn't for a long time," she confessed. "It was very stressful. And the laws need to change."
"If you're the rightful owner and have legal documents, you shouldn't have to watch your property be destroyed while the court drags its feet."
Throughout this tribulation, even Sandra's neighbors suffered.
Sandra explained: "One neighbor was terrified. They were stealing electricity from her house. Her mother's in her 80s. She was scared to call the cops - afraid they'd retaliate."
After some convincing from Sandra to contact the authorities anonymously, the police increased patrols around their area, although the shadow of dread remained.
Sandra said: "I couldn't do anything because of the trial. My hands were tied. The whole neighborhood was complaining, but I was powerless."
She added: "It shouldn't be this hard."
She explained her reasoning for coming forward: "I want people to know what I went through. I don't want this to happen to anybody else."
It wasn't just about the house, it was about family, said Sandra.
"I used all my life saving to save my grandparents house where I was raised by my grandparents."
"I want to preserve my grandfather's legacy that he built this house with his bare hands and sweat.
"Hopefully, they change laws so this doesn't happen again to other people. This was a nightmare. Thank God and my lawyer this is finally over."