BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The property owner that is home to a large homeless encampment has responded to the lawsuit filed against her.

Li-Ching Fang, who resides in Taiwan, claims in court documents that she has taken action to remove trespassers from the Walmart encampment. Two police reports, both filed by Fang in 2019, authorized the Bellingham Police Department to arrest or issue notice to trespassers.

Fang also said she paid $25,000 in March to Bellingham-based Abatement and Decontamination Specialists to begin the cleanup process. Confirmation emails between those specialists and an attorney for the City of Bellingham were included as part of the court documents.

MyBellinghamNow previously reported on the condition of the homeless encampment in January. At the time, multiple shopping carts full of trash from the property had been put on the sidewalk and curb of Stuart Rd. just outside of the property line. Volunteer groups aided the homeless community during the harsh winter, noting that some residents had lived there for the last few years.

Fang rejected any claims that she wasn’t doing anything to mitigate issues on the property, calling them “false and groundless.”

She is seeking a dismissal of the lawsuit against her, and repayment of any costs incurred during the legal process.