Big Island house built on wrong lot faces additional obstacle 

“Each accuse the other of Not making a reasonable offer” bruh you straight up trespassed and vandalized her property.

She made a reasonable offer. Get the house off her lot. Move it, tear it down, whatever, just restore the land to the original condition.

The reasonable course of action here is the builder restores the land to how he found it. The land owner did nothing wrong and has no obligation to help out the builder.

Sue the builder to remove the home, it was illegally built on her land. At no time is she responsible for paying any of the building costs or taxes

Compromise? Why would the woman have to compromise? The house was built on her land illegally. The house needs to be removed and the land reclaimed.

Pour new foundation on the correct lot. Move the house. Demolish the old foundation. Why is this even in court?!?

They built this house on this lot purposely knowing it did not belong to the contractor or owner of the new house. This day and age, iit is not hard to look up and find ownership of the lots. That is why the contractor sued the actual lot owner. They were trying to bully them out of their lot. This is stealing property. This is a criminal issue. Not a civil issue. The contractor and whoever else conspired in this need to go to prison. This was not an "oops".

She wants her lot, what is so hard? The developer is bonded and has insurance, what is so hard? The developer messed up, take responsibility, what's so hard?

She didn’t ask for the house. She didn’t contract for the build. It was done due to others errors and she is giving them the ability to remove the house. I wouldn’t be so nice. I would simply tell them to stay off my property and that house that they put on my property belongs to me and if they want it back I charge 100k per day to access my property. Simple as that! F Em!

Why does this woman have to go through this stress? She just wants her land as it was. Just take the house down as she wish.

Lawsuit for them illegally building a house on her property is extortion and outrageous. There's no reasonable offer if it was the developers mistake.

This poor woman has been through the ringer with the developer. Take the loss and return her land! This is so wrong.

I’ve been following this case & it’s the developer that screwed this up & the developer that is suing everyone.... they screwed up so they are suing everyone... wtf

They can move the house to a near by lot at their builders expense! they were attempting to steal a better lot. They figured they could offer a lesser lot because no one would want to spend all that time in court. They owe the lot owner for every blade of grass that was moved. I would ask for legal fees too.

Why is this even in court? The builder should’ve said oops, sorry, and removed all trace of construction ASAP.

The last few seconds sums it up nicely. No matter what happens, the lawyers win.

Why is this even an issue? THEY built the house on the wrong lot. THEY are responsible for removing the home, turning HER lot back to where it was.

This story makes zero sense. The original owner did not pay taxes on the lot and it went to auction. The lady from California bought the lot at Auction for $20k. A developer then built a house on this lot thinking it was a different lot. Now per state law, the original owner can come back and lay claim to the lot. So who currently owns the lot?

So basically any developer can “accidentally “build on the wrong property on purpose in order to claim someone’s land. It looks like the house is in fire prone area to me. Im not suggesting anyone go set it on fire.

Remove the home by so and so date or it is considered abandoned, land owner gets to keep it!!

It seems silly like all the commenters mentioned. The woman who owns the lot is not responsible for the construction. She wasn't even aware of it. It was mentioned by the developer that the person who wanted the construction didn't want to pay for a surveyor on the boundaries. Now, I don't know how long the construction of the building took, but it seems strange that I hadn't heard if the developer ever visited the site while the builder was contracted to build it. Did the developer visit it? Who goes to build a new structure and never visits the project as it is being built? Does the developer not know his own property boundaries? Why would a builder have a surveyor verify the boundaries of the project that the developer did not want to pay for? He's contracted to build , which he did. Is it in the contract to validate boundaries that the developer wasn't paying for and didn't want? If he did so, he would be paying out of pocket. It sounds like the builder followed the developer's orders, so why is it his fault for constructing on the wrong property? Didn't the developer not want to get a surveyor or did the developer visit the site once started? Usually on undeveloped land, it needs clearence, grading and such on location of construction, was none of that reviewed by the developer? It seems it more of the developer's responsibility, as the county is not going to validate the surveyor's rights, they approve plans on the property submitted.

only winners are the lawyers

I'd bet money the developer KNEW the lot was incorrect but bec he really wanted that specific lot, he could force a sale by "accidentally" building there. That's why they keep pushing for the land swap.

The builders screwed up by not hiring a surveyor first. They screwed up again by building a house on the wrong lot. Now, they want someone else to take over their own mistake. Unbelievable.

Move the house, and if it has a basement, dig it up...

Compromise? It’s her land… bye house

Remove the house, it’s not your property. The original price of the lot doesn’t matter, it’s irrelevant. Clean the lot, grade it back to what it was previously and replace the plants and trees. This poor lady looked traumatized at court. The idea that the builder could swap lots with her and all is well is ridiculous. If they let the developer get away with anything other than removing the house and fixing the land you can bet someone in the future will pick a lot that isn’t theirs that they desire and will build on it. That doesn’t look like $500k to me but maybe so. Always pay for survey and title when you purchase and or build, it’s cheap insurance. The builder went cheap and now they will need to pay for the mistake.

The house owner should pay to Move the house to the lot next door . Problemed solved .

This is what wrong and bad reporting looks like, this guy is a disgrace as a reporter

This is all the developers' fault for not hiring a surveyor. Why is the judge even allowing this case to move forward.

I wish everybody would pay for my screwup. My life would be a lot better. 😂

Reporter mis-spoke at 1:05...he said "The owner of the lot where the house was supposed to have been built...etc..." which is confusing...he should have said "The lot where the house was supposed to have been built is being offered to the owner of the lot the house is on...."

SO, the owner bought the lot at Auction for 20,000. and has no clear title?? How does that happen? Where is the title company at ?

I doubt you could build a house In Hawaii for $250/sqft. Probably more like $500/sqft

Why?! They illegally entered her land and built on it, they should be responsible for returning the land to its prior condition. That should be it, end of discussion.

Building on the wrong lot never happens. That is not a mistake. It is a deliberate move to try to steal the lot.

If that happened in UK the house is torn down.

If I owned a property and someone without my knowledge built a house on it by their own mistake and they want to argue with me about what is right they better be prepared to pay all my legal fees because I'm suing. I hope this lady comes out way ahead on this and gets every single penny of her legal bills paid for by the company who actually made the mistake.

It’s not her fault the contractor was an idiot.

So if I see a nice piece of land somewhere and I build a house on it then now the land is mine....or I compensate them with land somewhere else...

Rent a dozer and have a party

Moving a house across town is expensive, but moving it a few feet is affordable. Probably less than the lawyers fees in this court. No power lines to clear, no roads to close, etc.

There's no guarantee of a clean title!? The land did not have a home on it when it was purchased.

Why is there a stalemate? This is clearly cut and dry, it’s her Land!! They messed up by not bringing out a surveyor and mistakenly built an entire house on someone else’s property.

So the state has stepped aside and said to the owner and the developer, "I'm out, you two are on your own". Basically, NEVER buy property in Hawaii because it is not government guaranteed. Got it.

I know how Judge Judy would rule in this case.

This case is ludicrous. You can’t just go around building houses wherever you want and then try to bully the land-owners into swapping to different plots they didn’t want.

Welcome to America, what are the criminals get away with everything. I don't see any reason why a judge cannot say.. tear the house down

If she wins the case, she should make an offer for the property at 10% to 20% of the builders construction costs, so they don’t have to additionally incur the cost of demolition. In negotiating terms, it’s a big win / small win for both parties.

So her land needs to be restored, i think most agree. But can they move the house, they do that stuff all the time on the mainland, or is it logistically impractical on the island?

let me sort this out. This lot has no clean title. When the original owner shows up (and pays his taxes) it's his again. So it's a high risk move anyone who would buy this lot with a house from the building company. It probably can only be sold when the company conceals the facts. On the other side, there is the lot owner, who only wants the house to be torn down. From another video I learned that her main reason to stick to this lot is some magic numbers matching hers and her children's birth dates? Well, in the Land of the Free, this is a perfectly legal reason, but: If I were her, I would accept a lot swap, but only if the builder pays all the court costs and the new lot has a clean title. What seems to have been offered to her.

Why not move the house to the lot next door (the "correct" lot)?! Also, if the State took possession of the property, it should be obligated to provide clear title prior to the auction or at most there should only be a 6 month right of rescission period for the former property owner to reclaim the property, if they are able to pay the auction winner for all of their costs plus interest and a nuisance fee. The current owner can always offer the prior owner money to sign a Quit Claim duty to negate their right of rescission period to take back the property.

"The builder is entirely at fault and should be held accountable for their actions. They failed to conduct a proper survey of the property, which would have prevented them from building on the wrong land. It is my belief that the builder was aware of their mistake and intentionally attempted to claim land that did not belong to them, resulting in a dispute with the rightful owner."

Who are the idiots that built a house ON THE WRONG LOT?!? If she doesn’t want the house she shouldn’t be forced to pay for it. Sounds like they tried suing her first which was dirty. They need to tear it down and restore the land

Sounds like he liked her view better and thought he could do a sneaky trade situation after the fact. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. She is not obligated to make any accommodations to anyone, this is not her fault or doing. As far as I am concerned they are obligated to do as she asks and return her property to it's original state.

It bothers me how contractor built a house on wrong lot,,, I am still thinking,,,

Wait, the land was purchased at a tax auction, and it is not too late for the previous owner of the land or their heirs to reestablish title? Someone, quick, find the previous owner! All they have to do is pay the old overdue taxes, reclaim the title, and they get a brand new house for free! The house doesn't need to torn down, which is a waste. The lady in CA can have her $20k back, but everyone here is going to be out their lawyers' fees.

If they get away with it and she is forced to except the house or the money or any deal, it means then that anybody can build on your land and get away with it. The only solution is tear down that house and trash it.

So why did you emphasize the fact that the woman was from California? Does that somehow undermine her property rights?

Developers NEVER see that they did anything wrong!

It's not the lot owner's responsibility to compromise.

What was that ? . . . . EXcuse me. How can property be sold if there is no clear guarantee of ownership ? And if a company can come into my town and move a 2+ story, beautiful antique home 2 blocks and put it on a new foundation, what's the actual problem here?

The fault (costs) must be on the ‘entity’ (developer) who actually built the house in the wrong place.

I am confused about where the reporter saids that she doesn't have "clear title to the land". What does mean? Can another party. (try to) claim it later?

How did this even end up in court? they built the house illegally on her land. they have to make it right to her satisfaction, end of story. If that means demolishing a brand new house, then so be it.

I work for a survey company. Stuff like this is why we will always be in business. Smart people call us to avoid situations like this.

That company just gonna have to take the hit. They screwed up, not the land owner. The one screwed up takes the hit.

The leaders of this building company should be called out publicly since they want to ruin this woman and won't do right... Way to much has been made to conceal their identity... How many people have unwittingly contacted with them during this fiasco?

Can someone explain to me about this not clear title bit? She either owns the land or does not.

Only under very demanding circumstances would I build a house on a concrete pad. In this case, had the builders built on timber foundations they could move the building to their own lot, then they would just have to restore the bush they bulldozed.

No compromise! Thats her land. The other lot is of WAY LESS VALUE! SHE SHOULD SIMPLY RENT A BULLDOZER AND REMOVE THE HOUSE AND PAY THE FINE.

So, the county auctions off property without clear title? That sounds like a recipe for another disaster. Shame on them.

Even thought the land owner is in the right, I can see how the land owner is not adding to the solution. If she knows something about negotiating, she could have turned this in her favor. We already know the developer has significant construction cost. They do no want to lose it all. They also want to avoid court and attorney fees. They also want to avoid demolition and restoration cost. They would settle for adjacent lot with clean title plus maybe $100k cash settlement. She gets clean title lot and the developer minimizes his loss. This assumes the developer is not a complete jerk. This also assumes the landowner is amenable to reason. If this becomes a long drawn out and expensive fight, she will take on conflict and create enemies neither of which is ideal to have close to home and on a small island. I think the horse has left the barn on this one.

You have 30 days to remove the house and restore the property to original condition. Or the property owner will Burn it down. Have the builder arrested for criminal trespass and distruction of private property. The crews arrested for trespass.

That's the problem with short vids, they leave questions. Why is there no title on the land? Who paid the builder? Why didn't anyone ask questions during the build? Terrible reporting.

There’s companys who knows how to move away the house from the property, that simple ,they can relocate it next door. Simple.

Don't see why she would have to do anything. She didn't giver permission and was never part of any contract to build on her land. Its as simple as do as she says about it.

So the woman who "owns" the lot, the one in lawsuit refusing next door lot, purchased the lots at tax sale? This being the case I would think she should ask for developer to clear the other lot and be happier than she could possibly be to get that lot free and clear vs the one she's "loosing". Tax sales can be really frustrating and tricky and could loose money and property on..... Or make a lot... Thus why people risk it.

The (cheap) ignorant contractor was above paying $700 for a land survey, he erred massively! Not the first house in HPP built on the wrong lot! Hawaii county loves money and equity generating greedy contractors, I wonder how he will fair?

There’s no argument in this case and the land owner shouldn’t be involved in anything apart from seeking a court order to remove the building from HER property. She doesn’t have to agree to a compromise to rectify the mistakes of others.

The value is there is none. The owner did not authorize for you to build her land.

She doesn't have to compromise.

The housebuilder has a property it cannot sell, and the owner of the land has a plot that someday may be reclaimed. However, think the developer should be made to tear the house down and clear the land.

It should be simple... The contractor made a big mistake. Tear it down, clean up the mess and apologize.

I think that if the contractor who built the house on the wrong lot were to offer two or 3 lots, adjacent to each other and nearby the owner might be willing to accept that offer. Especially if the new lots had clear title. The contractor is being a cheapskate.

She bought the property years ago, just how long does Hawaii state law permit an estate’s owner to lay claim to property lost at a tax auction? You make it sound as though it were indefinite, and that is most certainly not the case.

Move the house it's done all the time

Simple! The house had to be torn down and the contractor had to eat the loss! The property owner isn't liable at all for their mistakes!

Move the house to the right lot at the builders expense!

It seems pretty cut and dry that the developer owes at least two people a lot of money, and probably shouldn't have a license.

Owner of property: Well, I have a property with a home on it now. I’ll sell it all to you for $500,000 and we can close this all out. These people building on someone else’s property shouldn’t have been able to have their case even heard. This is absurd. They trespassed and illegal developed on a property that wasn’t theirs to build on. She doesn’t have to do anything. Get off my property and take your house with you.

The only person who did nothing wrong is the owner of the lot. I don't believe for one minute that the person who contracted the house build didn't know where the house was actually being built. My father was a contractor for decades. There are always several walk throughs with the owner during the build process. I think they realized but didn't want to pay the cost of correcting the mistake. They chose to complete the build, thinking the lot owner would just switch lots with them. They need to get their house off her land. I hope the courts do not allow these greedy selfish homeowners to push her off her land.

Do NOT buy any property, real estate, automobile that doesn't have a clear title! Looks like the builder likely knew and took advantage of the situation while planning to use their greater resources to wrangle the lot away from the owner .

There is a much simpler solution to this problem caused by the developer, they should simply move the house to the lot next door, clean the lot that they made the mistake of building a house on and call it a day….house moving is NOT a new concept and has been done for many times EVERYWHERE. Bringing a lawsuit against the legal owner and court costs have already cost the developer much more than if they had just moved the house in the first place, cleaned the lot and paid the lady a small stipend and just say Sorry, my bad!

The core issue is something was done illegally on HER land. Tear the house down and clear her land as she's asked and pay her legal feeds. Take this as a lesson to do your do diligence before building someone else's land.

The female owner of the land should not need to compromise at all. It is her land. End of story. The developer was completely in the wrong from the very beginning by building a house on land they didn't own. The developer should also be forced to pay any of the land owner's legal fees when all is said and done.

So the County's trying to throw the owner under the bus by claiming that their titles not free and clear? in hopes of sabotaging the owner, got it.

How the heck can you buy something at auction but not have a clear title? What the heck are you buying if not the title to the property?

Builder: We messed up! Here is 20k that you paid, same great deal you bought it for! Owner: No thanks, please remove your mistake from my property. Government: BOTH of you owe us unpaid taxes! Pay up or work it out, it’s not our problem our building permit department did not verify the details and allowed you to build. It’s like that dog that chases his tail infinitely running in circles.

Developer and other Land owner are Scamming this Lady from CA!