In an unusual jailhouse interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, a man named Jeremiah Kaylor says he squatted for months in the mansion at 3800 Washington Street selling off art, appliances, and accessories he scavenged there. He told the Chronicle reporters that, in his mind, it was his right: "When I first saw it, I thought to myself, 'This is it. This is my headquarters. This is my thug mansion.'" The property, which is listed on the National Historic Register, is modeled after the Petit Trianon in Versailles. It has been on the market since 2012, and its asking price has plummeted from $25 million to $17.5 million. Kaylor hinted he was drawn by something else: Reporters speculated that a rumored sale to his idol, Taylor Swift, sparked his attention.
A selfie posted by Kaylor on his Instagram account.
In the article, Kaylor says that he first camped on the back porch. Later he let himself into the main house through an unlocked back door and into the furnished guest house (with a little help from a ladder) via an open patio door. He claims he sold a high-end stereo system, a Viking range, and a chandelier to finance some trips. But for the last two months, he's been squatting in the house nearly every night, selling paintings he discovered there for money. Police say the artwork he sold was worth well over $300,000, but most of it has been recovered.
When confronted by the police, Kaylor produced fake documents that reportedly showed he was in the process of buying the house. He remains in custody.
The Chronicle reports that city officials have repeatedly declared the mansion abandoned (with the latest declaration being issued yesterday). Kaylor told reporters: "It was super moldy and honestly kind of falling apart, but you could tell that it had been amazing."
· Cops say squatter in S.F. mansion-for-sale sold $300k worth of stolen art [San Francisco Chronicle]
· 3800 Washington Quietly Cuts Price to $12.5M, Spins Off Guesthouse As Separate $3.5M Property [Curbed SF]
· Was SF's Petite Trianon the Site of an Illegal Art Gallery? [Curbed SF]
· Previous Coverage of 3800 Washington St. on Curbed [Curbed SF]
· 3800 Washington St. [Official Site]
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