Man connected with Kirkland squatter targets more Eastside homes

Kirkland police arrested a woman in June for squatting in a $3.2 million mansion in the Market neighborhood. But a man found in connection with that case, James McClung, is at it again.

Notices signed by McClung and posted Aug. 17 were found on two brand new Market neighborhood bank-owned homes and one house in Bellevue. A third bank-owned Kirkland house was found with the notice posted on Tuesday.

“The bank has advised that they don’t want him on the property,” said Kirkland Police Department spokesman Rob Saloum.

The notices state that residents must be out within three days – an apparent attempt to stake claim to the homes.

“We’ve had a few calls about him putting notices on doors saying vacate the home,” said Corp. Don Carroll, a detective with the Kirkland Police Department. “There were two houses in Kirkland and we talked to the real estate agents of the houses and they have closed up the homes.”

The letters were found on homes at 2007 and 2009 Market Street in Kirkland last week and the third house is located at 9317 112th Ave. N.E. The realtors have also posted “no trespassing” signs at the Market Street homes and all three have removed the lockboxes. The Bellevue home is located at 9804 N.E. 15th St.

All three of the houses have for sale signs. Two are bank-owned, one is in foreclosure and, according to KOMO news, one is worth $2.1 million.

“The two houses in Kirkland have been on the market for well over a year,” said Carroll.

The three homes have another thing in common – they are all brand new and have never been occupied, says Carroll.

The home at the center of the squatting issue back in June was also a new home that had never been lived in. A developer had knocked down a smaller house and rebuilt the home.

Kirkland police had to wait for verification on whether the woman who was residing in the house, Jill Lane, really owned the home last June before doing anything.

This time it is wait and see once again.

“There is not really a whole lot we can do since there is no one there,” said Carroll of the three houses.

McClung, who was fired from Keller Williams Realty in Bothell in connection with the squatters back in June, is also listed as one of the owners of the business NW Note Elimination, which claims to be a mortgage elimination company, helping homeowners get out from under bad mortgages.

The company was also linked to Lane, the woman that was arrested in June. She and McClung were listed as owners.