Karewicz

BACKGROUND

According to the allegations of the operative third amended complaint (and, regarding the procedural history, the record in this case), in the summer of 2012 Wright began living in a home in Oakland, California, along

1 with several other occupants including Anna Karewicz, who had been living there since the previous year. Allegedly, title of record to the home was in the name of Mary Esther Bates, who had died in 2008. A security interest allegedly was held by the Estate of Bessie Joseph (through an heir, James Alex Joseph). But according to the complaint, the property “for all given purposes” appeared to be abandoned “both physically and literally,” because there were no records on file with the Alameda County Recorder’s Office reflecting who owned it after Bates’s death. Since 2008, there had been no change in ownership filed with the county (see Rev. & Tax. Code, § 480), Wright was unaware of any heirs, the property had not been maintained, and no property taxes had been paid. And in 2010, the City of Oakland had recorded a notice of “Prospective Lien and Special Assessment” reflecting that the property was in substandard condition and the City would commence an…