Nudists allege ranch owners' neglect

In filing a lawsuit, residents and members of Inland Empire's Olive Dell say property's maintenance was halted as a way to force them to leave

- BY ANDREW J. CAMPA

A LAWSUIT alleges owners of Olive Dell Ranch stopped maintaining the property as a means to force people out. Above, the hot tub at the property in January.

At one point, the neighborhood pool, a gathering spots for residents, turned green.

Then electricity was cut in communal spaces, such as the clubhouse, bathrooms and walkways, discouraging exercise and even short walks.

Trash accumulated where it was supposed to be collected for disposal. Fed-up tenants who moved out were replaced many times over by newcomers: rats, insects and weeds.

Finally, residents and visitors at the Inland Empire's renowned nudist colony, Olive Dell Ranch, were told to put their clothes on or leave.

The indignities had been piling up, residents say, when a pair of killings stunned the community and drew widespread attention to this quirky but tight-knit enclave of people who share a preference for spending some of their day unclothed.

Now the residents are suing the Olive Dell owners, contending they are being forced out.

The mass tort lawsuit, filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court, includes 56 plaintiffs comprising tenants, dues-paying members and guests of the 136-acre property just outside the city of Colton.

The plaintiffs are alleging Civil Rights Act violations, unfair business practices, financial elder abuse as well as dependent adult abuse, labor code violations, wrongful termination, negligence and breach of contract.

They also allege the resort owners made their lives miserable in an attempt to drive them out and drive up the value of their property.

The plaintiffs are seeking at least $5 million in damages.