A family in the US are trying to work out how to evict a woman who was hired as a nanny, stopped working and now refuses to leave their home.

Marcella and Ralph Bracamonte, from Upland in California, said they hired the 64-year-old from Craigslist in March to look after their three children.

She was offered free accommodation in exchange for helping with the children and around the house, according to the couple.

Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Mrs Bracamonte told ABC News the first few weeks were great but then it changed.

“All of a sudden she stopped working, she would stay in her room all day and only come out when food was ready,” she said.

The nanny told the couple she had a lung condition - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - which prevented her from helping around the house.

The couple claimed the woman refused to sign new working conditions and said the job was too much for her and she would be leaving within a month.

After she then refused to sign a letter putting her 30-day notice in writing and would not leave the house, the couple called the police, who said it was a civil matter.

The couple have filed eviction papers but the nanny is threatening to sue them for wrongful dismissal and “elder abuse”, ABC reported.

The woman has already earned herself three mentions on California’s Vexatious Litigant List of people found to use repetitive or meritless lawsuits.

She is still living in the family's home and eating their food and would not answer reporters' questions when they visited the house.

“I’m not going to bend for her,” Mrs Bracamonte said. “I’m in charge, this is my house. She’s not going to scare me out of my own house.”