Montana developer's two-year war with 'serial squatter' who has stashed 'mounds of stolen goods' in his Billings property and used bolt cutters to break in after being kicked out

A Montana developer who once dreamt of turning a Billings property into affordable housing said those hopes have been squashed due to a lengthy legal battle with a 'serial squatter.'

Allen Rice purchased the property nearly two years ago and filled the building with commercial tenants.

Rice hoped to turn the building into a boarding house, but said a costly court case with a squatter has prevented him from doing so.

The owner said Jarvis Carter has been taking up space in two of his units, filling them up with allegedly stolen goods, and refusing to pay rent for over a year.

'I have got this one tenant, a squatter, who is the source of so much mischief,' Rice told KTVQ.

Allen Rice (pictured) said his dreams of turning a property into affordable housing have been crushed due to a legal battle with a squatter

The owner said Jarvis Carter has been taking up space in two of his units, filling them up with allegedly stolen goods

Security camera footage showed Carter (pictured) coming back to the building with bolt cutters to break through the lock after being kicked out

Rice said at one point Carter was sleeping in the unit, which is not allowed, and resorted to locking him out.

Security camera footage showed Carter coming back to the building with bolt cutters to break through the lock after being kicked out.

The units are filled with piles of board games, stuffed animals, toys, cookware, gaming consoles and other goods.

'Let's call a spade a spade. It's a crime, full-time. It's a fencing operation, scamming stuff on eBay and marketplace that sort of thing,' Rice said.

Rice filed a civil case to evict Carter but said he has been unsuccessful because it has been stuck in district court for a year and a hearing date has not been set. 

Carter has also filed a lawsuit against Carter seeking $21,800 in damages alleging the building, at 1140 First Ave. N., is hazardous.

Rice purchased the property at 1140 First Ave. N. (pictured) nearly two years ago and filled the building with commercial tenants

Carter's units are filled with piles of board games, stuffed animals, toys, cookware, gaming consoles and other goods

Rice said at one point Carter was sleeping in the unit, which is not allowed, and claimed the items in the units are stolen goods

Carter admitted to the local news station that he stopped paying rent, but said he is deducting the costs of repairs to the unit.

The squatter claimed the roof is leaking and the building has electrical problems that are not up to code. 

'The loss of money isn't even the most painful part,' Rice said. 'The most painful part is the escalation of tension, it's the blackmail and the threats to me and my family. It's the extortion that he wants me to pay him to leave.'

 'After two years of struggling with this, it's just not worth doing anymore from the private sector side of things.'

Carter was arrested and booked into Yellowstone County Detention Facility for allegedly failing to appear on a warrant unrelated to the dispute on April 29.