At that time, Reynolds was living in California and learned of the construction error when a realtor contacted her.
“[The realtor] informed me, ‘Oh well, I just sold the house, and it happens to be on your property’,” Reynolds recalled. “So we need to resolve this. And I’m like, what? Are you kidding me?”
Reynolds was subsequently offered a nearby plot of land of the same size and value as a solution.
She chose to decline the offer, explaining that she only wanted the original plot she had purchased.
“There’s a sacredness to it and the one that I chose to buy had all the right qualities,” she told Hawaii News Now.
Reynolds envisioned establishing a women’s wellness retreat on the land, but she, along with the construction company, the architect, and others, faced a lawsuit from the developer.
Anne’s lawyer, James DiPasquale, commented on the legal action: “There’s a lot of fingers being pointed between the developer and the contractor and some subs.”
Peter Olson, the developer’s attorney, recently told the Associated Press: “My client believes she’s trying to exploit PJ Construction’s mistake in order to get money from my client and the other parties.”
Reynolds countered with a lawsuit against the developer, claiming she was not informed of the ‘unauthorized construction’.
Amid the legal battle, Reynolds also faced additional unforeseen expenses.
She reports shelling out several thousand dollars in taxes, with Real Estate Hawaii noting that property taxes in Hawaii County range from 0.61 percent to 1.36 percent of the property’s market value, potentially costing Anne up to $6,800 annually.
Reynolds has also incurred costs for installing fencing around the property to deter squatters, a significant issue in the local area.
“Before they put the fence on the property there were people coming, looking inside,” a neighbor remarked.
Squatters reportedly left the house in a ‘disgusting’ condition, with someone defecating in the hallway and in the bathrooms.
“Both had poop. The hallway one had poop on the floor,” the local resident stated. “It was disgusting.”
In the summer of 2024, a judge ruled that the house would need to be demolished by the developer.