Nanny From Hell Refuses To Leave Family's Home

Nanny From Hell Refuses To Leave Family's Home
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Paul Burns

An exasperated family are trying to evict their stubborn live-in nanny who refuses to leave their home.

And if that sounds incredible, mum Marcella Bracamonte, 31, also claims that nanny, Diane Stretton, 64, is threatening to sue HER for wrongful dismissal and abuse of the elderly.

And if that wasn't enough, the nanny has told Marcella's family she wants THEM to be out of their own house ever day between 8am and 8pm.

Marcella and her husband Ralph, from Upland, California, hired Ms Stretton to help with their three children, aged 11, four and one.

But when they tried to evict her police told them they could do nothing.

Marcella told ABC News: "The first few weeks she was awesome. She would come places with us, help out the kids. She was really great.

"But all of a sudden she stopped working, she would stay in her room all day and only come out when food was ready."

Ms Stretton told Ralph and Marcella that she was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and that she was unable to leave her room and help with the kids.

After being initially concerned for her welfare, the Bracamontes then decided that they couldn't have her living in their home any more when she refused to do anything around the house.

The row escalated when they sent the nanny a 'last chance letter', which outlined the terms of their initial agreement and threatening her with eviction if she continued to do nothing.

Ms Stretton refused to sign it and said that she would be leaving in 30 days anyway as the stress of the job had become too much for her.

At this point the couple asked her to leave and served her with legal papers, but Ms Stretton counter-sued and a judge ruled in her favour because the Bracamontes did not complete a three-day quit notice correctly.

Marcella said: "When I asked her why she wouldn't sign the letter she said, 'It's not legal,' and slammed the door in my face.

"Once she said the word legal, I knew it wasn't going to be fun."

Police told the Bracamonte's there was nothing they could do because they said it was 'now a civil matter'.

Marcella added: "So this lady is welcome inside my house, anytime she wants, to eat my food anytime she wants and harass me basically. I'm now a victim in my home and it's completely legal."

John Moore of the Upland Police Department confirmed that the couple can't do anything at the moment because, 'generally, once somebody has established residency, you have to go through a formal eviction process'.

The Bracamontes' have since discovered that this isn't the first time that Stretton has clashed in the courts with families.

She has been involved in 36 lawsuits, ensuring she has made California's Vexatious Litigant list, for abusing the system.

Marcella said: "Anyone who looks at her crooked, she sues."

Ms Stretton is now threatening to sure for wrongful dismissal and abuse of the elderly while she eats their food and sleeps in their house.

But Marcella is determined, saying: "I'm not going to bend for her. I'm in charge, this is my house. She's not going to scare me out of my own house."