A woman in Puna, Hawaii, is facing legal action after a construction accident that resulted in a house being built on her property without her knowledge. Annaleine Reynolds was shocked to discover that a newly constructed house was built on the property she bought for $22,500 at a county tax auction in 2018. The property holds significant religious values for her, and she originally intended to use it for meditative healing retreats for women.
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Reynolds, who had been residing in California during the COVID-19 pandemic, was planning the use of her property remotely when unknown to her, the land was cleared, and a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house valued at $500,000 was erected on it. The shocking news was delivered to her by a real estate broker who informed her of the house sale on her land, prompting urgent discussions to resolve the unprecedented situation. The construction error was made by PJ’s Construction, contracted by Keaau Development Partnership to build around a dozen homes in the area. The developer had purchased several lots in the subdivision. Still, due to a mix-up, one house was built on Reynolds’ property, with lot identifications being based on markings on telephone poles, according to KKTV.
The situation turned complicated when the developers started legal proceedings against Reynolds. They proposed two options- to either exchange her property with an adjacent one or to offer her the mistakenly built house at a reduced price. However, Reynolds rejected both options, leading to a legal battle. Her attorney, James DiPasquale, expressed the situation’s absurdity to Hawaii News Now. He said, “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.” Reynolds has now filed a counter-suit against the developer for the “unauthorized construction” on her land.
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Reynolds is currently dealing with a legal situation awaiting a court decision. The issue arose from a construction error that placed a house worth half a million dollars on her property without her permission. As a result, she is facing unforeseen problems such as higher taxes and the appearance of squatters.
The situation, pending a court decision, has resulted in Reynolds facing unforeseen problems such as higher taxes and the appearance of squatters. These issues result from a construction mistake that placed a house worth half a million dollars on her property without her permission.
