After a few weeks of work, they claim she stopped working and has also refused to move out. The story has sent chills up the spine of anyone who has ever hired live-in help and raised questions about the rights of homeowners in such situations.

The legal experts who spoke with The Daily Beast explained that once a person is living in your home, having them removed immediately is virtually impossible unless they choose to leave voluntarily.

“In New York City, it’s a Class A misdemeanor to unlawfully evict any person who has been occupying a dwelling unit for more than 30 days,” said New York-based tenants attorney Catharine Grad. That means that if a New York-based family were to have a falling out with a nanny or housekeeper and changed the locks after that person declined to leave, the family would be in trouble, not the employee. Attorney Marc Eisenhart, who has taught courses on eviction law, said that unfortunately the Bracamonte family is in for a potentially long and bumpy ride. “Before you can even file a lawsuit, you have to serve her with a notice. The notice can be three days, 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days. It depends on the type of tenant and the reason for evicting.” It also depends on the length of the tenant’s residence.