Bellevue squatter found guilty of trespassing in Kirkland luxury home

A Kirkland jury found a Bellevue woman accused of squatting at a luxury home in Kirkland guilty of first-degree trespassing on Thursday at Kirkland Municipal Court.

Jill Lane, 32, was sentenced to 364 days in jail, with 362 days suspended. This means if she complies with her sentence and serves her jail time, she will not have to serve the additional 362 days in jail.

She was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, with $4,750 suspended on the condition that she spends two days in jail and pays a $250 fine and has no contact with the property or property owners.

Lane was arrested in June 2010 after she had taken up residence in a lakefront home that was owned by a local bank in Kirkland’s Market neighborhood.

The home overlooking Lake Washington was valued at more than $3 million, but construction had stopped before it was completed and the building had been abandoned and left unsecured for months.

At the time, people who occupied the home said they were taking possession under a legal concept known as a “Living Trust.”

A Kirkland police investigation determined that Lane had no authority or permission to be living in the residence.

Bank officials and their security team observed Lane living out of the residence for several weeks and reported the trespassing violation to the Kirkland police.

This was the first time a case of this nature had ever occurred in Kirkland.

 

Contact Kirkland Reporter Editor Carrie Rodriguez at editor@kirklandreporter.com or 1-425-822-9166 (ext 5050).

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.