In California’s City of Industry, nearly 50 brand-new RVs meant for sale have become makeshift homes for homeless squatters. Once stored on a lot by BlackSeries Campers, the $2.5 million worth of trailers are now trashed, surrounded by garbage, and at the center of a legal and logistical nightmare. With evictions looming, questions swirl about how this situation spiraled out of control and what comes next for the landowner, the displaced residents, and the damaged RVs.
Latest Update: Sheriffs evicting squatters
RV manufacturer not far from where homeless take over stored RVs
A large lot next to a car dealership has been used for a few years as a storage area for new RVs. The RV manufacturer, BlackSeries Campers, Inc. is just down the road 24 miles in Upland, California. BlackSeries doesn’t own the lot, and according to news reports, hasn’t paid its rent in more than two years.
Did BlackSeries abandon the new rigs? One count says there are close to 50 of the never-sold travel trailers on the City of Industry lot. A base-model BlackSeries rig carries a suggested retail price of more than $50,000, so the retail value of the rigs could exceed $2.5 million dollars. Why just leave them on the lot?
Won’t break into a locked RV… unless
The City of Industry lies inside Los Angeles County, which has a huge problem with homeless people. Somehow some got wind that there might be some available shelter on that lot, and they moved in. One “resident” who calls one of the BlackSeries rigs home told a news interviewer that people just move into any rigs they find open. And what of the ones that are locked? He says that folks wouldn’t break into a locked RV—only if it looked like nobody was living in it.
Mountains of garbage
The whole scene has turned into a nightmare for local business people. Folks who work at the auto dealership that abuts the RV storage lot say they’ve had their cars broken into, tires taken, and more. If that weren’t bad enough, there’s the garbage. Seeming mountains of garbage surround the rigs—and in some cases pile up on top of them.
The property owner figures it will cost about $80,000 just to clean up the trash. And then there’s the question of what to do with the dozens of no-longer-new (and basically trashed) RVs. The company that owns the property has filed suit against both BlackSeries Campers, and its CEO, Hongwei Qui. A judge ordered that the landowner can begin the process of cleaning up.
Landowner wants it all gone, in just a few days
The Los Angeles County Sheriff has been tasked with moving the homeless RV squatters off the land. As of this week, the agency is still trying to work out just how to do that. While the landowner hoped to have things cleared up in just a few days, that might prove to be a challenge.
And as to the legal situation for those who’ve claimed those “new” RVs? One legal analyst says that if the RVs have not been abandoned, those who broke in could face criminal charges. If the rigs prove to have been abandoned, then they could face civil action. At this point, for the landowner, none of that is probably of great interest. They just want to get their lot back, in clean, usable condition.
We will update this story as it develops.
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##RVT1202b
The beauty of CA!
Not a lot of sympathy…these people get the government that they voted for.
Depends on which election you are referring to John…….
Has there been an election in California within the last generation that wasn’t won by a progressive liberal? Not since Reagan (and don’t try “Ahnold”).
What makes you think “these people” even vote??
Just more evidence of dereliction of duty by California leadership.
Your analogy also applies to this nation as a whole anymore.
How is it possible to conflate progressive liberalism failures to conservatism, and its obvious successes? It doesn’t compute.
Exactly. It is befuddling. Liberal policies of tolerance create these heII holes and then the progressives burn down entire cities to protest the conservatives lack of compassion because they live in cities and states with balanced budgets, rational policies, low crime and less homelessness in those areas they govern with no such heII holes of comparable scale. Epitome of gaslighting.
Capitalism.
Oh yes…the current disgusting situation in America is so enlightening…eh. Better lay off the left handed smokes.
Something seems really strange about this whole story. The RV manufacturer was over two years behind on his rent/lease payments? After 90 days the landlord should have moved to evict the tenant. Any property remaining is then disposed of at the whims of the landlord. Any titled vehicle can then be declared as abandoned and a default title can be applied for. At that point the landlord can sell those units. Any moneys received above the value of the past due rent may have to be returned to the former tenant. That is how it works in the state where I reside.
What’s even worse will be the news coverage. Oh, those poor, darling people “experiencing homelessness”, or the “unhoused persons”.
Why not call those people vagrants and vandals? Oh, that’s right – nobody entered a “locked” vehicle. Uh huh. I’m sure they’ll be portrayed as the true victims here.
I wouldn’t want to be the one dealing with those holding tanks!
They probably don’t use indoor facilities…
“Why not call those people vagrants and vandals?”
Because it is Kalliphoney, there is no such thing. And unfortunately, 1/2 of the people all over the USA believe the same thing. As long as it is NOT in their backyard, that is.
I didn’t catch it the first time I read it either: They did enter locked units – only the occupied ones were not broken into…. This is a sad tale of our country and the so called “sanctuary state” declarations. Now the so called state can deal with it!
There has to be a lot more to this story than what’s presented. 2 years of unpaid rent with no mention of eviction effort of Black Series? Months if not years of occupation by squatters and no mention of eviction effort by the landowner, Black Series or the city? Hope there’s a follow up story, this is indeed weird!
In Texas a feral pig is fair game……
What’s not surprising: the billions of taxpayer dollars spent with virtually no results on homelessness in CA. What’s surprising: why the owners of these rigs let this destruction lead to this complete loss?
This is a sad commentary on our country and where it was headed with inflation, unemployment, illegal immigration, sanctuary borders and all. Not only sad for the people living it – but those who now have to deal with it! Lip service, Hmmm! Do we a need another national agency like the Salvation Army or Red Cross or whatever? I know we have many welfare programs already – they just hand out checks (CC), not help! State unemployment officers visiting these sites. It could go on and on ad-infinitum!!
Getting rid of squatters shouldn’t be the problem that it has become. It should be as easy as send in the cops, tell the squatters to leave, and if they refuse to do so, arrest them, cuff them, and stuff them for criminal trespassing. I’m sorry for their situation, but NOBODY is entitled to just move in wherever they want to, especially at someone else’s expense.
Give the squatters 96 hours to clear out, then get a front-loader to bulldoze all the rigs into a pile and torch them.
Please stop calling them “homeless”.
These are addicts and mentally ill people (one in the same).
America doesn’t have a housing problem, we have a mental health crisis.
Strange way to store trailers. Why are they end to end and not side by side? Would take less room and easier to hook up to.
Another positive upbeat article by Russ and Tina. 🙄
Russ and Tina are just reporting the facts.
Right? LOL. When I see their names on the byline, I’ll read it, but take it with a grain of salt and consider the source. It’s one thing to report, and I appreciate the info, but it sure seems like it’s always doom, gloom, and all things terrible with nearly every story from these two. R & T…Quit stealing the joy out of the Christmas puppy! Come up with an occasional fun story! LOL
Squatting is not right! How liberals came up with the idea it was okay is beyond me!
I don’t understand how this situation could progress to the point it’s at. If I noticed just one camper trespassed on, the issue would get resolved right then. To let all 50 campers be taken over is mind boggling to me. Has to be more to this story.
There is always “more to the story”.
Using the term squatters does not describe what these folks are; they are criminals and need to be removed and treated as such. When did it become OK to enter someone’s property just because the door wasn’t locked.
These Blue states have the darnedest problems.
Thank you for the remarkable story, Russ and Tina! It is hard, given my experience and perspective to understand how the chain of events that ended here took place. Seems things would have ended much sooner and in an entirely different outcome. Have a great day and safe travels!
Mar 27, 2025 this story posted.
April 14, 2025 the owner of all of these trailers, moved each of these trailers. 60 miles away from the City of Industry to a storage lot in Wildomar. The rvs were moved in their current state. Burned out, rats, infestation, missing walls ect..
From the videos, it looks to be literal feet from resident homes, with a fence in between.
The residents claim the owner then removed all the tires of the rvs when the rvs were put on the lot, so they could not be towed from their new lot. To quote a resident “The smell of human feces around the side is very concerning,” The trailers, should have been bulldozed, on site.
I do not think any of this is organic.