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# No love for thy neighbor
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/no-love-for-thy-neighbor/
- Published: 2007-10-25T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T03:38:59.000Z
- Author: Melody Hanatani
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Family friends turned enemies*

SANTA MONICA COURTHOUSE A former City Council candidate is being sued by a neighbor who is accusing the third-generation Santa Monican of habitual harassment.

In the he said/she said world of small claims court — where plaintiffs and defendants typically throw around accusations of unpaid bills and stolen goods — this case involved allegations of uncontrolled barbecue fires, dead fish decaying in the garden and numerous disturbance calls to the police.

The accusations were laid out before a judge in Santa Monica on Wednesday by William and Gretchen Richert, who filed a lawsuit on July 11 against Terence Later, the son of their landlord.

Later, an entertainment consultant, ran for City Council in November 2006.

Both parties claim the animosity arose more than two years ago. The Richerts, who have lived in the apartment for 14 years, say Later, whom they believe is heir to the apartment building, is trying to boot out the long-time rent control tenants who pay just $790 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Mid-City. But Later, who denies it’s an issue of rent control because many tenants in the building are long-time residents, claims the couple has been antagonistic since Gretchen Richert was allegedly kicked out of her family’s estate, blaming Later’s mother.

The couple walked into the mainly empty courtroom with two poster boards filled with a timeline of alleged harassment incidents dating back to May 19, 2005, when Later allegedly left a barbecue fire unattended in the common area of the apartment complex on Euclid Street.

The timeline of events continues, listing similar fiery episodes, incidents of when Later would allegedly leave some dead salmon on the Richerts’ front yard and would repeatedly call the police with fake claims. A narcotics officer once came knocking on the Richerts’ door on a report that the couple sold drugs from their bicycles, Gretchen Richert said.

The couple, which unsuccessfully applied for a restraining order against Later a few months ago, also accused Later of trying to run Gretchen Richert off the road during the summer. Both husband and wife were riding their bikes on Georgina Avenue when a truck nearly hit Gretchen, allegedly missing her by three inches. Gretchen believes that Later was driving the truck, but never filed a criminal complaint.

Later disputed all the claims, adding that he has not opened any of the correspondence he has received from the couple since they ended their friendship in 2005.

“They are loud and abusive,” Later said. The un-neighborly feud has been documented in a nine-minute video created by William Richert, an actor and director. The video, which includes footage of the fires and is narrated by Richert, was posted on YouTube three months ago and had garnered 174 views and five comments as of Wednesday afternoon. Entitled “Santa Monica candidate versus tenants,” the video shows a distressed Gretchen Richert pleading with the Santa Monica Police Department to take action against Later, and later attempting to file a restraining order at the Santa Monica Courthouse, where video cameras are not allowed.

The long-time Santa Monican is countersuing the Richerts for defamation, accusing the couple of harming his reputation by spreading “false claims” to the City Council, acquaintances and local newspapers.

> “We will not be driven out,” — William Richert accuses Later of leaving the fire going as high as fully knowing that Richert has a fear of flames since his Malibu house burned down in the 1970s. William Richert told Pro Tem Judge Frank Ariel,who was presiding in place of the absent judge. I CAN’T BELIEVE ONE IS TELLING THE TRUTH AND THE OTHER ISN’T.” Cleone Eichholz, mother of plaintiff

> “16 feet tall,”

Some people watching the trial unfold Wednesday occasionally chuckled as the two parties made their cases against one another, laughing a little harder when the judge would take a comical shot at the case.

“Isn’t that against the law?” Judge Ariel asked, in reference to the dead fish. “(Isn’t it) cruelty to dead fish?”

Gretchen Richert and Later’s relationship dates back to when they were both children. The former registered nurse once played with Later’s younger sister and their two mothers remain good friends.

In fact, among those watching in the nearly empty courtroom were the matriarchs for the two families — Evelyn Later, who came as a witness, and Cleone Eichholz.

Eichholz seemed flabbergasted at the trial, which she called frivolous on Wednesday afternoon.

“I’ve known both of those kids ever since they were born and I can’t believe one is telling the truth and the other isn’t telling the truth and I don’t know which is which,” Eichholz said.“Knowing both their personalities, I just can’t believe it.”

At the conclusion of the trial, to ensure the safety of both parties, the Richerts and Later were escorted by LA County Sheriff’s officers through two different exits. A decision isn’t expected until next week.

The feud has left some Mid-City neighbors puzzled. “Things have gotten blown out of proportion, based on what I do know,” said J.T. Katzman, who has lived in the building for more than two years.“Terence likes to barbecue and they think it’s dangerous. I don’t know what they are talking about.”

Paulette Ferris, who has lived in the building for 22 years, was in the courthouse on Wednesday. Ferris disputed a claim made by the Richerts in court that the frequent outside barbecues were the cause of her cancer.

“I try to stay out of any politics in the building,” Ferris said.“I think it has to do with the estate — the mom cutting Gretchen out of the will.”

Former tenant Steve Gentry, who moved out of the building a year and a half ago after living there for seven years, is siding with the Richerts. Gentry, who no longer lives in Santa Monica, remembers the incidents when police officers were called to the apartment building. Gentry recalls several of his own strange encounters, including seeing Later standing outside of his own apartment for no reason.

“He has done several things that have been very out of the ordinary,” he said.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 25, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102507.pdf?ref=smdp.com)