Former Oceano official facing punitive damages in harassment case

July 26, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

A bitter row between former Oceano Community Services District Director Cynthia Replogle and several of her neighbors could leave the controversial public figure owing punitive damages, a judge ruled last week.

While multiple neighbors, community and former board members have accused Replogle of harassment, she has repeatedly portrayed herself as the victim. In March 2022, Replogle resigned following a board meeting in which she accused a community member of politically motivated harassment and stalking. She argued that Oceano officials failed to protect her.

Replogle, a self-proclaimed advocate for social, economic and environmental justice, says she is committed to always standing up for what is right.

Four to five years ago, Replogle moved into a home she bought in Oceano that shares a driveway with two other homes. The mutual driveway was created by an easement in 1987.

On the day she moved in, Replogle butted heads with neighbor Terry Sandell, who had been quail hunting that day. It soon became evident Replogle and her friends did not approve of hunting, Sandell said.

Since the 1950s, Sandell has shared an Oceano home with 80-year-old Gary Rust.

“From day one, she wanted to make our lives miserable,” Sandell said. “She was always frowning, never said hi and was not remotely neighborly.”

After Sandell “tore her apart on Facebook,” he said Replogle started flipping him off and calling him names.

Replogle allegedly ordered a Tribune delivery driver to stay off the driveway, and to leave Rust’s paper at the street.

“I had a hip operation and it is about 100 yards to the street,” Rust said. “It was a hardship to have to walk up to the street with a walker to get the paper.”

After a UPS driver delivered a package to Rust, Replogle allegedly blocked the driveway trapping the delivery driver. The neighbors called the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and a deputy ordered her to move her car, Sandell said.

In retaliation, Sandell placed a large Donald Trump poster on his chimney. Replogle reported the poster as a fire hazard, but her complaint was deemed unfounded.

“She had a view over our roof, so I put a life-size Trump poster on the chimney,” Sandell said. “We are not Trumpers.”

Replogle then filed suit against her neighbors, wanting them to build a wall on her property.

“Clearly it takes a simpleton to believe someone should stand up and say no,” said Robert Mueller, the managing partner of one of the homes on the shared driveway. “But, when my tenants and elderly neighbors are sued and harassed when going to their doctor or to work, it seems right to ask Cynthia to talk to us. Instead of working with us to improve Oceano, we all got a lawsuit demanding thousands of dollars to improve her home.”

The neighbors responded by filing a lawsuit against Replogle “alleging causes of action for interference with deeded easement, injunctive relief, nuisance and negligence.”

“Replogle allegedly posted signs at the entrance to the driveway easement stating it was private property, moved trash cans to block access from the street and constructed large planters that significantly narrowed the width of the driveway easement,” according to lawsuit. “Rust depends on medication delivered to his home, which delivery could not be made by UPS. Plaintiffs allege that Replogle’s ongoing misconduct has diminished the value of the Rust and Cambria Properties and it will make keeping and finding tenants impossible.”

The Cambria Properties home, managed by Mueller, had a tenant who moved during the time Replogle lived in Oceano. Mueller said that  Repogle has “precisely cost the dollar equivalent of one year of top quality housing for a working family of six.”

Cambria Properties is a partnership with a focus on bringing affordable homes for people who work in the area.

“Thousands of dollars in direct cost from our staff resources have been lost down what is just one more of Cynthia’s private rabbit holes,” Mueller said. “All the while, Cynthia is busy broadcasting a public office persona of standing up for the class of people disadvantaged because of their race, refuge status or sexual preferences.”

About a year ago, Replogle sold her home and moved out of Oceano. She then filed a motion asking the court to deny punitive damages against her because she no longer lives in the home. Her motion to strike was denied.

“Replogle argues that punitive damages in this case will not serve the purpose of deterring future misconduct because she no longer lives in the Replogle property,” according to the tentative ruling. “While deterring future misconduct is one goal, an equally important purpose of punitive damages is to punish the wrongdoer and make an example out of the wrongdoer.”