A California nudist resort has sued its owner after residents claim they were forced to wear clothes and were subject to unsafe living conditions.
Olive Dell Ranch, located in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, has been a haven for nudists since the 1950s. Local outlet KTLA says it was once known as the “friendliest nudist resort in Southern California.”
But according to residents, many of whom are elderly, disabled or veterans, things have changed since it came under new management.
Tenants claimed they started getting notices informing them clothing would be required “at all times,” according to a report by KTLA.
They also allege electric meters from mobile homes have been removed, leaving behind live wires; the pool has turned green; the laundry room has been closed and the sauna has been disabled.
Residents claim they have been threatened with eviction as well. Longtime tenant Penny Palmer told KTLA the changes appear to be an effort to drive people away.
“I’m going to stay here till the very end,” Nancy Roeder, who has lived at the resort for more than a decade, told the local outlet. She said she and her neighbors are in “survival mode.”
The Independent made attempts to contact the resort but its phone and website appear to be no longer in service.
Former and current employees tell two different stories about what’s going on at the resort.
Sunshine Lorick, who used to work at the front office, told KTLA she was fired after refusing to charge “extra money on people’s bills.”
But a current property manager, identified only as ‘Darlene’, told the local outlet the residents were not paying rent or utility bills. She also claimed they had vandalized the property.
Residents told KTLA they have been sending payments through certified mail.
