Emergency: Reef and His Mom Face Imminent Homelessness

Our Story

My name is Chelsea, and I am the mother of Reef — the only child and rightful heir of Buck, who many of you in Santa Cruz knew and loved. Before his death, Buck put in writing that his home should be preserved for Reef, and that I should manage it for him. After Buck’s death, his older half-sister began taking steps to claim possession of the property, which has resulted in Reef and me being locked out of our home.

The Backstory

September 20, 2007: Buck and Meara executed a contract in which she received half of the appraised market value of the home (about $350,000) — making Buck the sole owner of the property. The timing of this coincides with her marriage to an Alaskan man and them moving to Alaska and buying a home to start their family. She remained on title only as a “co-signer” since Buck was only 24 at the time of their father’s death and didn’t qualify for proof of income on the mortgage on his own. From that day until his death, she didn’t financially contribute to the property, and wouldn’t even step foot past the sidewalk on her yearly visits to Santa Cruz from Alaska.

2018–2022: I managed the property as co-landlord with Buck, including mitigating a non-paying tenant during the pandemic. The house and ADU had always been sustained by supplemental rental income, but Meara unilaterally refused to allow the units to be re-rented, cutting off the income stream that had paid the mortgage since 1985.

May 2022: After Buck’s death, Meara immediately began trying to claim possession of the house — despite the buyout and despite probate protections for minor heirs. By law, Reef should not be removed from his home until at least six months after probate inventory is filed and the probate case is resolved. To this day, she has withheld access to our home, where both estate and our personal possessions remain locked inside.

Court Appointment: I was formally appointed by the Superior Court as Administrator of Buck’s estate. I raised and borrowed more than $30,000 to protect and maintain the property, in legal expenses alone.

Eviction: Despite a legal understanding that we would not be removed, Meara acted in bad faith. She issued only a 30-day notice (instead of the required 60 days) and pursued an unlawful detainer based on misrepresentation. My litigation attorney was unable to appear due to emergency circumstances, and the eviction was granted. Reef and I had 20 minutes with the sheriff to remove pets and one bin of clothes. Everything else we own remains locked inside.

Aftermath: Since then, I have continued to protect the property under impossible conditions. Meara allowed me to keep the utility accounts in my name and continue paying them myself for a year after she wrongfully evicted us, then took them over without notice, shut off the water, and left me with $4,000 in unpaid utility collections from the non paying tenant and $7,000 in credit card collections for emergency housing and food I had to buy premade while we had to live in a leaky camper trailer and later a storage shed with no running water, bathroom, or kitchen for a year and a half. My credit is destroyed. I filed a lis pendens and an 850 petition to prove Buck’s true ownership, but Meara is opposing it — Evidence I need to present in court has not been made available to me, which has left me unable to fully defend Reef’s rights.

What Has Happened to the Property

Trespassing and vandalism. A short, white-haired man (apparently a potential buyer) has been repeatedly found inside the property with no legal authority. I have discovered the doors wide open, leaving the house exposed for days. And he recently trampled down garden plants, I assume in frustration, after attempting to break into our tool shed.

Theft and destruction. Since we were evicted, Buck and Ricky’s surfboards, thousands of dollars in tools, and personal property have gone missing or been damaged. Rats and possums have chewed through interior and exterior walls and floors. Patio pavers were dislodged and never replaced, causing damage around our hot tub which allowed rats to burrow inside and chew through tubing. Landscaping worth thousands has died.

Animal loss. By shutting off the water, Mrs. Boling caused the death of two of our chickens and duck. For over a year I have carried water, gallon by gallon, onto the property to keep the remaining animals and plants alive.

What I’ve Sacrificed

$30,000+, including student loan debt I had to used to pay lawyer fees, which I must repay with interest, and is going into default.

All of my savings, spent on repairs, upkeep, and survival.

Credit card debt from having to rent an hotel room while Reef and I both had a stomach flu and no bathroom, and emergencies resulting from the wrongful eviction.

Ongoing physical labor to keep the property alive without utilities.

Since Buck and I were waiting to get married until I completed nursing school I am not even a beneficiary of the estate — yet I have carried this burden because Reef deserves a home, and Buck’s last wishes matter. This probate battle has taken all of my time and energy and has prevented me from being able to apply to any nursing program. This year all of my bachelors nursing prerequisites expired after the last application cycle, effectively destroying my career.

Why I Need Help Now

The probate TRIAL where she will oppose my petition for the court to honor Bucks sole ownership and Reefs inheritance rights is on September 2nd. If I cannot immediately replenish my attorney’s retainer, Reef and I will not be able to fight her opposition, negotiate a settlement, or restore possession of our home. She will complete the sale of Bucks property, pay herself back for all the carrying costs she unilaterally accrued, and has informed me that she intends to control whatever proceeds are remain.

Goal: Raise at least $10,000–$15,000 to cover my attorney’s retainer and urgent legal expenses, and repair the damage to the house so it can be rented as soon as possible to stop the financial loss to Buck’s estate. I have identified a fair and just path to resolution, but we need to preserve our home in order to survive.

*Immediate need: If anyone is willing to loan $5,000 as a bridge until estate funds are released, please contact me directly.

Without this help, Reef and I face homelessness after August 31st.

How You Can Help

Donate. Every dollar helps us stay in the fight and protect Reef’s future.

Share. Spread this campaign widely — the more people who see it, the stronger our support.

Stand with us. By helping, you are not only honoring Buck’s final wishes. This situation has become an egregious legal battle at the expense of an innocent child who lost his father, and a widowed single mother.

Closing

I hesitated to create this GoFundMe until now out of fear of retaliation from Buck’s sister. But we have no choice — Reef and I cannot do this alone.

This is not “family drama.” We are not asking anyone to “buy Buck’s house” for us. This situation has become an egregious legal battle at the expense of an innocent boy who lost his father, and a widowed single mother.

Please stand with us and act now — before more harm befalls this innocent child.