LeBron James Is 'Very Concerned' About Squatters Throwing 'Cocaine Orgy Parties' Near His Mansion
By Favour Adegoke on March 29, 2024 at 9:15 PM EDT
LeBron James is reportedly disturbed by squatters who have taken over a $5 million home close to his sprawling Beverly Hills mansion.
The house was taken over by squatters in October after sitting empty on the market for months and has now been used for large, loud gatherings and "cocaine orgy parties." It comes amid reports of a surge in squatters occupying several homes across the country.
LeBron James Is 'Very Concerned' About The Squatters Living Close To Him
According to Curbed, the L.A. Lakers star is worried about the situation after squatters occupied the four-bedroom, six-bathroom home in the highbrow neighborhood of Beverly Grove Place.
The $5 Million property has reportedly been used to throw cocaine parties as the news outlet claimed a neighbor "got in touch with LeBron James' house manager," who said James was "very concerned."
According to the Daily Mail, the squatters also advertised rooms in the property on Booking.com for $300 per night and charged hundreds of party guests $75 at the gate.
The parties reportedly start at about 2 AM and have resulted in assaults, fires, and arrests since they began in celeb-packed Beverly Hills.
Other A-list names living within close range of James' mansion include Jeff Bezos, Steve Wynn, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and Ron Burkle.
LeBron James' Security Has Been Beefed Up
James has seemingly had his security beefed up as the proximity between his home and the property in question remains a source of concern, per Curbed.
James' house manager, who opted to stay anonymous, said he increased the protection on his property because of the squatters' parties.
"I've heard from my security team up there about all the crazy cars, crazy parties at night, how we're not able to get into our property sometimes because they're blocking the street with their cars, and just the nuisance at night with the loud music and people floating out to the streets," the manager said.
"It's one of the reasons we have security 24/7. Otherwise, there's no need for me to have security there 24/7 because it's just a construction site," he added.
Standoff Ensues Between Squatters And Original Homeowners
According to the publication, there has been a standoff between squatters and homeowners, with the former claiming they are legitimate occupiers while the homeowner and property agent deny any rental agreements exist.
LAPD Senior Lead Officer James Allen disclosed that the squatters claimed they were friends of the original owners and had been asked by him to come live on the property.
Allen went further to note that the current ownership of the home is uncertain, as it has been the subject of a bankruptcy court case, and that the home is entering foreclosure.
They Are 'Working On A Plan With The Bank To Evict' The Squatters
Elaborating more on the situation, Allen shared that they are putting together a plan to ensure the individuals get evicted from the property.
"I guess he left his friends in the house. I guess we can say they're squatters. But they're squatters to the owner that's in foreclosure to the bank," Allen said.
"We're working on a plan with the bank to evict the individuals because there's no one at this point to evict them and say they're there illegally," he continued. "I've submitted it to the City Attorney. I'm citing the home every time we get a radio call for a party."
He added, "They're using the home outside of its original purpose, illegally."
The Homeowners Hired Investigators
The homeowners and their realtor said they had not authorized any rentals or residents and had hired journalist and crime writer Mark Ebner as a private investigator to look into the squatters.
One neighbor, Rick Rankin, told the news outlet that police were unable to evict the residents because they had obtained driver's licenses bearing the property address and even produced a rental agreement, which the property's current listing agent claims is forged.
Aside from the loud parties it has played host to, there is potential evidence that the 5,857 sq ft home is a hub for drug use, which has prompted LAPD to refer the case to its Narcotics division.
Recent police calls to the home, which were recorded on the Citizen app, include a report of a man in a bucket hat assaulting someone with a metal box on January 13, a battery incident on December 2, and a reported burglary on November 23.