Portland - People living in giant treehouse on city property are terrorizing neighbors

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A Portland couple say they've been terrorized for years by campers living in and around a massive treehouse built on city property.

"We actually had to put up a fence from Johnson Creek all the way back to the Springwater Trail, just to keep them out of our backyard," said Kerry.

He's talking about people who live in the treehouse about 100 yards from his home on city property. Kerry shared a video with KATU, showing the elaborate structure built in the trees, including a window and a staircase surrounded by fencing. He and his wife, Marysue, said a few dozen people have been living in the treehouse, and they're not good neighbors.

They're right outside our bedroom window at night. We can hear them," said Marysue. "They're fighting. There's [sic] guys punching women, women screaming up and down the street. It's horrible."

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Kerry said the situation escalated recently when his dog responded to the noise. "They threatened to shoot our dog. They've actually shot at us from up there when my dog was barking," said Kerry. Kerry said he called the police. Portland Police couldn't find the incident but said they have a record of Kerry reporting gunshots in the past. He also showed KATU his barn, where he said someone spray-painted racist graffiti. It's pretty much a hate crime. My roommate is Black, and they put an upside-down cross and used the N-word, painted it on my barn," said Kerry. He believes it was someone from the nearby camp. In Kerry's video, you can see chopped-down trees and piles of trash stretching all the way to Johnson Creek.

When KATU checked it out, they discovered a dam built in the creek where Kerry said people have been pumping water and dumping trash.

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The Portland Bureau of Environmental Services owns the property. KATU reached out for an on-camera interview, but they declined and sent this statement:

"Garbage on Environmental Services' property is always of great concern, particularly along our waterways. Garbage can pollute the environment, impact water quality, and endanger plants and animals. This is why Environmental Services reported the site to the Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Team. The Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Team is receiving around 1,700 complaints about encampments weekly. Environmental Services is aware that the team is stretched for resources and is grateful garbage is being removed from this site as resources allow. More resources may be dedicated to this site after the height of wildfire season and school begins, but right now, the team is doing all it can with the available resources. The unfortunate reality is that the need for garbage removal in Portland exceeds the City's available resources, so the team has to prioritize to the best of their ability."

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