California · Code of Civil Procedure - CCP

CCP §1160: (a) Every person is guilty of a forcible detainer who either: (1) By force, or by menaces and threats of violence, unlawfully holds and keeps the possession of any real property, whether the same was

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A person commits forcible detainer by unlawfully holding real property through force or threats, or by entering another's land at night and refusing to leave after five days' demand.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Every person is guilty of a forcible detainer who either: (1) By force, or by menaces and threats of violence, unlawfully holds and keeps the possession of any real property, whether the same was acquired peaceably or otherwise. (2) Who, in the night-time, or during the absence of the occupant of any lands, unlawfully enters upon real property, and who, after demand made for the surrender thereof, for the period of five days, refuses to surrender the same to such former occupant. (b) The occupant of real property, within the meaning of this section is one who, within five days preceding such unlawful entry, was in the peaceable and undisturbed possession of such lands.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.