A cunning group of squatters headed up by an aspiring actor manipulated a convoluted absentee ownership situation mixed with bizarre state laws regarding squatter rights to take over a mansion just a block away from LeBron James’ new home in an ultra-wealthy area of Los Angeles.

Beverly Grove Place, an affluent neighborhood situated adjacent to the more famous affluent neighborhood of Beverly Hills, is the soon-to-be-home of NBA superstar LeBron James. So, imagine the shock and concern when a group of squatters takes residence a mere block away from James’ future home.

While the imagery of Los Angeles-area squatters may conjure up the images of homeless people or recent illegal aliens, that wasn’t the case with the unattended mansion near LeBron’s new house.

LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after missing a shot during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets in game three of the Western Conference Finals at Crypto.com Arena on May 20, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Oh no, this group of squatters was headed up by an enterprising and aspiring actor named Morgan Gargiulo, who used a fake lease agreement to make people believe he was the legal resident.

The property Gargiulo took over, a 5,900-square-foot mansion worth $4.6 million—a relatively modest home by Beverly Grove standards—was uninhabited and ripe for the picking.

However, the home was quite lovely, and Gargiulo took full advantage of its appeal by charging $500-$1500 to attend parties and $150-$300 for overnight stays.

As neighbors became increasingly concerned over the frequent large parties and the constant stream of people coming and going, eviction proceedings began. Gargiulo worked out a deal with the actual owner and agreed to leave last month.

Still, it was no easy task. Gargiulo held residents off with his phony lease agreement for some time. In addition, law enforcement was slow to act due to the complicated web of property owners and squatting laws in California.

As one frustrated resident said, “Welcome to California, thanks liberals.”

X users were quick to point out the irony of the predicament, given James’ liberal politics and that of many of his wealthy Los Angeles neighbors.

The horrifying thing is that Gargiulo had not even met the threshold of California’s adverse possession statutes, given that he had not occupied the mansion uninterrupted for five years. And yet, it still took an enormous effort for the very wealthy residents of Beverly Grove to boot the squatters.

I guess you get what you vote for.