More than nine months after Cruz Florian Godoy of Sylmar gained national media attention for running a makeshift RV park on her residential property, which created third world living conditions for dozens of tenants, a judge gave her more time to remove three remaining motorhomes.
“I’m happy to report that what Ms. Godoy promised to do [at the last hearing Feb. 22], she did: she removed four more motorhomes from her property,” said Los Angeles City Deputy Attorney Niklas Buckingham during a progress report hearing on April 25 at the Van Nuys West Courthouse..
Buckingham said a city inspector informed Godoy that the remaining RVs must remain vacant.
At Godoy’s first hearing last July, she was fined, charged with two misdemeanors and was ordered to vacate all tenants, remove all the RVs and clean up the property grounds within 45 days. Although three RVs remain on site, Buckingham recommended to Judge Alicia Y. Blanco that Godoy receive more time based on consistent progress. The next and potentially final hearing was scheduled July 11.
Before authorities forced Godoy to shut down in July 2023, she was renting out at least 26 RVs to dozens of tenants – up to 70, according to estimates from neighbors and aerial drone shots – charging between $400 and $600 per renter for years.
Neighbors began reporting Godoy to law enforcement as far back as 2020, lodging complaints about loud noises; suspected illegal activity, such as drug dealing; and foul smells emanating from her property. There were even multiple reports of area residents witnessing human waste flowing from the property onto the streets.