Squatters Take Over Elderly Couple's Home in Colorado Springs
In a heartbreaking case from Colorado Springs, an elderly couple has been forced out of their own home by squatters who manipulated the kindness of the husband, William Towns. Towns, who suffers from dementia, met a homeless woman while walking his dog, and in an attempt to help her, allowed her to stay in his home. What was meant to be a temporary arrangement quickly turned into a much larger problem, as the woman brought her son and boyfriend into the house. Now, Towns and his wife, Arlene, find themselves struggling to reclaim their home from the unwanted guests.
An Act of Kindness
The incident began when 76-year-old William Towns encountered a homeless woman living out of her car. With a generous heart and no knowledge of the trouble to come, William offered the woman a place to stay while she got back on her feet. At the time, Arlene was staying with one of their daughters as she recovered from major heart surgery, leaving William alone at the family home.
The woman initially agreed to help William with household chores in exchange for temporary shelter. But what started as a brief stay turned into an invasion. Over time, she moved her 15-year-old son and boyfriend into the home, along with their belongings and even non-working vehicles.
Escalating Problems in the Towns' Home
What followed was a nightmare for the Towns family. The squatters, rather than expressing gratitude, began making themselves at home in increasingly disruptive and dangerous ways. William's daughters, Alicia Jordan and Christy Waillas, say the squatters treat the house as their own, and they have set up a mushroom-growing operation in the living room and engage in drug-related activities, including underage marijuana use.
The situation became even more alarming as the boyfriend of the squatter became confrontational toward William. He threatened the family, making William feel unsafe in his own home. Cameras that the family installed for security were taken down by the intruders, leaving them even more vulnerable.
A Path Paved With Legal Roadblocks
Despite the family's best efforts, getting rid of the squatters has proven to be a long and expensive process. Since William initially invited the woman into the home, Colorado law considers the situation a landlord-tenant relationship rather than trespassing, complicating any immediate action.
Eviction, even in cases like this, requires a formal legal process. The Towns family needs to send a written notice asking the squatters to leave, and if they refuse, the case must go to court. Unfortunately, the legal battle is costly, with attorney fees reaching thousands of dollars — money that the Towns family, living on a fixed income, simply doesn't have.
Adding to the complexity is William's mental state due to his dementia. The family may need to pursue legal guardianship or conservatorship to fully represent him in court, further delaying their efforts to reclaim the home.
Feeling Helpless Against the System
The Towns family has called on the police multiple times for help, but local law enforcement is limited in what they can do. Colorado Springs police have stated that because the squatters were initially invited into the home, it is not a matter of trespassing. The Sheriff's Office must handle the eviction process, which could take months, leaving the Towns family in limbo.
The family has set up a GoFundMe® to help cover legal expenses, but every day that passes without resolution leaves them feeling more helpless. The couple's daughters described the situation as "unbearable" and "unfair," according to Fox News.
A Call for Change
This tragic story highlights the complexities of eviction law and the vulnerability of the elderly in situations where their kindness is exploited. While the Towns family continues to fight for justice, the case serves as a reminder that laws governing squatting and eviction may not be equipped to handle situations like this, where manipulation and abuse of the system are all too common.
References: Squatters allegedly take over home of couple in their 70s: 'The law should be different' | Alleged squatters take advantage of elderly couple
