is there a way to override a java property with a kotlin property declaration? or must the separate getter and setters always be overriden separately?

Properties can't be overriden in java. See https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/lang/Override.html. But if you really want pure fields, use

@JvmField

annotation.

I wonder if it is not possible in kotlin to override as a property when the setter is in one java interface and the getter in another in java but the kotlin class implements the setter interface (which itself in java implements the getter interface).. this might be why i'm having problems

You can't override getters and setters with a property in Kotlin, see https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issueMobile/KT-6653