This woman's dream house with a creek became a living nightmare for her community.

In the first installment of a series about Taralyn Romero's fight for property rights in Kittredge, Colorado, we explore the challenges she faced in her quest to protect her land.

The house adjacent to Bear Creek resembled a fairy tale, emerging from the earth alongside tall pine trees. The snow-covered ground was pristine, save for a few animal tracks. The nearly frozen stream flowed through the piles of white.

Taralyn Romero remembered the pure bliss she felt as she imagined her partner's daughter playing on a playground on the other side of the creek.

As the temperature rose, pure happiness turned into a horror. And Romero, facing opposition from her neighbors and the authorities, would soon become the villain of her own story.

Romero, a native Coloradan living in Denver, decided she wanted more space during the COVID pandemic and rented a house in the mountains. When her lease expired, she opted to stay rural.

Enter the house in Kittredge, a small community located about 30 minutes from Denver with a population of approximately 1,300 people according to the 2020 Census.

In March 2021, she and her partner and daughter moved into a small home on a property along Bear Creek, where they were the only inhabitants until elk and other animals started appearing on their land.

As the snow melted, fishermen began wading into the portion of Bear Creek that flowed through her property.

As school let out, dozens of people gathered in Kittredge Park, turning a couple of fishermen into a large crowd. Families brought their coolers and floaties and spent the day playing in the creek.

The children's clothing, socks, and baby wipes were scattered over the logs and tree stumps, along with empty water bottles and a red Hydro Flask with a turtle sticker and the message "F--- plastic."

Initially, Romero was confounded because there was no barrier separating the park from her land. Perhaps individuals were unaware that they were trespassing on private property.

Romero recalls asking visitors what they were doing at the creek and land next to it during the first summer. Some knew it was private, but others were unaware that the previous owners had granted public access to both. Visitors drove more than an hour from surrounding areas to reach a park with a creek next to it, unaware that the water was on private property.

Romero’s immediate concern was potential liability, she said.

The presence of a playground with kids running around and parents occasionally distracted on their phones made me extremely worried about the possibility of a drowning or someone getting injured and slipping on the rocks, she said to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Although most visitors were courteous, she was dismayed by the mess left behind daily when the crowds dispersed.

The creek bank was dug by kids and pets, while people broke trees and left trash, resulting in diapers, cigarettes, and cans littering the ground.

Romero was unsure of what action to take, so she posted a "no digging" sign and set up a table and chairs with a sign reading "Private Property: Residents and Invited Guests Only." However, her efforts were ignored.

She stated that her family was new to a small town and preferred not to cause any disturbances.

She stated that they wanted to form friendships and feel accepted, but when they politely reminded others of their private property and asked for respect for the land, they were met with hostility and harsh words.

Uncertainty over property lines

In 1920, when the plat map for Kittredge was created, the county officials believed that the creek had likely moved since then.

Matt Robbins, spokesman for Jeffco Open Space, stated to local media that it is uncertain if the creek has meandered onto their property.

During a September meeting with the Kittredge Civic Association board, Romero and her partner Michael Eymer made it clear that the "Residents and Invited Guests Only" sign applied to Kittredge residents only. An attorney from a nearby community whose children played in Bear Creek expressed her intention to seek a temporary restraining order to allow families to continue using the park until the county determined the true owners.

Meanwhile, hostilities continued to grow.

"Romero stated that he was subjected to verbal abuse, including being screamed at, cussed out, and threatened. He also mentioned that he was told that the land he had was not his and that he had stolen it."

The family was targeted by "bad actors" and "bullies" who quickly outnumbered them, specifically coming into Romero's backyard to antagonize them.

"They were present solely to yell at us, curse at us and harass us," she stated.

‘People lost their damn minds’

Romero, after attempting to share the land with the community as the previous owners had done, decided to stop being polite.

She strung a rope across her property and put up no trespassing signs.

"That rope going up caused people to lose their minds," she said. "It took the situation to a whole new level."

She stated that individuals began collaborating online and collectively decided to disregard the boundary and "overtly encroach."

Romero perceived herself as being depicted as a "villain" who "opposed children's enjoyment."

"After being posted on Facebook, it quickly gained popularity and turned into a mob mentality," she stated, with the number of people involved growing from a small group to a nationwide hate campaign.

"My journey was significantly altered, leading me into a massive conflict with both my community and government," she stated.

The first part of the series about Taralyn Romero's property rights struggle in Kittredge, Colorado is now available. Stay tuned for part 2, which will be published on Sunday.