For generations, Olive Dell Ranch carried a reputation as one of southern California’s most welcoming nudist resorts. Nestled in the San Jacinto foothills, the 136-acre property offered affordable living, miles of hiking trails, and a tightly bonded naturist community that dated back to the early 1950s.

Today, however, that legacy stands at the center of a bitter legal battle. More than 50 current and former residents have filed a lawsuit against the owners of Olive Dell Ranch, alleging civil rights violations, harassment, discrimination, and unfair business practices. The lawsuit paints a picture of a community under siege, struggling with rising rents, deteriorating conditions, and what residents describe as a campaign to force them out.

Story Highlights

• Established: 1952 as a naturist community in San Jacinto foothills, California

• Ownership: Purchased in 2019 by Mark Glasier, Brian Cleland, and Tina Coffelt

• Controversy: Shifted in 2024 from nudist resort to “textile park,” requiring clothing

• Allegations: Civil rights violations, elder abuse, harassment, unfair rent hikes

• Impact: Seniors, veterans, and disabled residents most affected

• Facilities: Pool, sauna, restaurant, and water system allegedly neglected

• Community Action: Residents maintaining property with their own money and labor

• Crime Factor: 2023 double homicide site left uncleaned, leading to health hazards

A Community in Crisis

Residents say the breaking point came in late 2024, when the owners announced that Olive Dell Ranch would no longer allow nudity. Instead, it would become a “textile park,” requiring clothing at all times.

“It was a shock,” said longtime resident Nancy Roeder, who has lived at the ranch for more than a decade. “We’re just trying to survive. Everything we built here is being stripped away.”

According to the complaint, the move represented not only a cultural shift but also a deliberate effort to drive out the ranch’s naturist population. The lawsuit alleges that one of the owners even referred to nudists as “nasty people.”

“That’s not the way rules work in mobile home parks,” attorney Frances M. Campbell argued. “There’s a process. And this at its heart is an anti-discrimination case.”

Decline in Living Conditions

The lawsuit also accuses the owners of neglecting essential services. Residents say the water system, roads, showers, and tennis courts were left in disrepair. Landscaping stopped, despite the ranch being located in a fire-prone region.

The community pool, once a centerpiece of Olive Dell life, turned green with algae. The sauna and restaurant closed. Trash service lapsed. At one point, residents claim they lost access to potable water altogether.

Electricity became another point of contention. After installing private meters, the owners allegedly doubled and tripled electricity bills. A former employee told KTLA she was fired after refusing to charge residents additional fees.

“All of the new rules, procedures, and actions alleged in this complaint were undertaken by Defendants to try to empty the Ranch of residents,” the lawsuit states. “Many of whom are seniors living on fixed incomes, veterans, and disabled persons.”

Residents Forced to Step In

With essential services deteriorating, residents said they had no choice but to take matters into their own hands. Using their own funds and volunteer labor, they restored the pool, repaired roads, and attempted to maintain the ranch’s facilities.

“They are basically making the place as nice as they can with their own money and labor,” Campbell said, “and hoping this lawsuit changes something.”

A Dark Turn: The Double Homicide

Adding to the turmoil, Olive Dell Ranch became the scene of a shocking crime in 2023. One resident was charged with the murders of neighbors Stephanie and Daniel Menard, aged 73 and 79. Police raided the suspect’s mobile home with a battering ram.

The lawsuit claims property owners “refused to clean up or secure the site of the alleged double homicide,” leading to rodent infestations and leaving residents with what they described as “constant reminders” of the tragedy.

Owners Deny Allegations

Attempts to contact Olive Dell Ranch directly were unsuccessful. But in a televised interview, a property manager named in the lawsuit offered a very different version of events.

According to the manager, the real issue is that tenants have failed to pay rent and utility bills and engaged in vandalism. “This is not about discrimination,” the manager argued. “It’s about responsibility.”

A Fight Over Identity and Rights

At its core, the Olive Dell Ranch lawsuit is about more than living conditions. For residents, it is a fight to protect a way of life that has existed since 1952—a naturist lifestyle they say is being erased.

Campbell summed it up:

“This is not just about rent. It’s about culture, community, and civil rights.”

As the lawsuit moves forward, the future of Olive Dell Ranch remains uncertain. For those still living there, survival has meant holding on to memories of a time when the ranch was a symbol of freedom and community—while battling in court to ensure it is not lost forever.

The Olive Dell Ranch lawsuit highlights a deep conflict between tradition and change. What was once celebrated as a landmark nudist resort in southern California has become a battleground over civil rights, community identity, and basic living conditions. While the owners argue that residents have failed to meet their obligations, longtime tenants insist they are being forced out of a place many have called home for decades. As the case unfolds in court, the future of Olive Dell Ranch—and its legacy as a naturist community in the San Jacinto foothills—remains uncertain.

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