Self-proclaimed "wicked witch" of Colorado town fences new property lines, hopes for end to battle with town
Behind a brand new fence near a creek in the small Colorado town of Kittredge, green grass is starting to grow back after years of public use.
On the other side of the fence, a beach area now officially belongs to everyone. The divide is the outcome of a long property battle between the small town and a new neighbor.
"For a long time, the community really had the narrative of me being a wicked witch who hates kids and wants them off her property," said Taralyn Romero.
She calls herself "the Wicked Witch of the West."
"I'm going to own it and I did and I ran with it," said Romero.
In 2021, Romero and her fiancé bought a home on 0.68 acres next to Kittredge Park with a creek running through their yard.
"It was a huge draw. I fell in love immediately," Romero said.
But when summer hit, droves of people showed up on her land.
"We have 55 people with families, dogs, tents, coolers, grills, beach umbrellas, towels, six-packs. It had turned into a water park," she said.
The previous owners had apparently given the public permission to use the area and many people believed it was part of the park.
"This is the area called 'the beach,'" Romero said.
According to official surveys, however, the land belongs to Romero.
"When you get that kind of dissension on whose land is it and you involve children and you involve rhetoric of a screaming lady, it really was like wildfire for social media," Romero said.
Interactions with the community soon turned ugly, in person and online.
"They were incredibly abusive to me verbally, and abusive to the land. Sometimes they were bringing out metal shovels and literally destroying the creek bank, they were breaking trees, leaving trash," Romero said.
That's when Romero decided to bar the community from her property entirely, cutting off public access to the creek.
"'Even if it is her land, take it from her' and they did, well they tried," Romero said.
In 2022, Jefferson County commissioners sued Romero in an effort to obtain the land through "adverse possession" laws, citing a long history of public use.
Romero launched her own campaign on TikTok, where her story went viral.
"They were writing the commissioners, they were making phone calls, and they were truly standing with me in a battle to keep my property," Romero said.
In May of 2023, Romero and Jefferson County settled.
"Although I was ready to go to Supreme Court, I had to weigh my family life, I had to weigh financial hardship," Romero said. "At the end of the day, I said 'you know what, let's split this baby.'"
In return for $250,000, Romero gave up 0.099 acres of her land to the county. It is now part of Kittredge Park and is managed by Evergreen Park and Recreation District.
The settlement was finalized in December and last month, Romero fenced in her new property line.
"We have it all fenced off," Romero said.
Other than a teenager recently jumping the fence, things have been relatively quiet.
"Hopefully that's the last of it. But unfortunately, I think we're going to have another summer of people trying to push the boundary and getting triggered by a fence," Romero said.
Romero says some neighbors have apologized to her, and she does hope to mend her relationship with the community, but won't tolerate any infringement on her property line.
She wants peace with the villagers, but first, she has one more battle.
"Yes, I'm ready to put it behind me but not before I seek some accountability in the courts for the people who sold me my home," Romero said.
Romero is suing the previous property owners for alleged fraud and not disclosing public use or the government's claim of ownership to the land. They have a mediation coming up in May.
