Malibu Real Estate Agent Warns Homeowners of Serial Squatter Targeting Beachfront Community
A Malibu real estate agent is sounding the alarm after a serial squatter allegedly targeted the beachfront community for years, warning homeowners to protect themselves from potential predators. According to Vanity Fair, Ellie Mae McNulty, an actor and screenwriter, has been accused of swindling dozens of Malibu homeowners, charming her way into their lives before becoming a nightmare roommate.
Liz Benichou, a Malibu real estate agent and lifelong resident of the area, described the situation as “a very tight-knit, secure community. Why would anyone want to take advantage of that? But again, people do. And it’s almost easy to get away with if you’re consistently showing your face, like this predator seemed to do.”
Benichou warned that the wildfires that ravaged California could make it easier for scammers like McNulty to prey on vulnerable homeowners. “It’s a state that’s known to be very soft on crime and squatting is a crime. It doesn’t seem to me that much is going to change, especially after the fires, after all of these people have lost their homes. You can’t just throw people out on the streets.”
California law protects tenants from certain rent increases and evictions, and state law mandates that guests who occupy a room in a house can be considered “tenants at will.” However, Benichou pointed out that evictions can take months or even years, and police are not allowed to forcibly remove a resident, but can “persuade” the person to leave.
Benichou also expressed concern that the housing crisis in California, which she believes has been exacerbated by the state’s “sanctuary” status, will only get worse after the fires. “It’ll take a lot of work to get these laws to change, to be more in the favor of the homeowner. This is just something I see time and time again. So unless homeowners really band together and try to actually make these changes happen, it’s going to be more in the favor in California of the tenant because it is a sanctuary state.”
In response to the wildfires, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued emergency orders prohibiting price gouging and restricting rent hikes. However, Benichou warned that scammers like McNulty will likely continue to exploit vulnerable homeowners unless laws are changed to protect them.