Increased incidence of squatting in empty homes/rental homes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are countless reports of New York homeowners unable to evict squatters, but you seem to think they are all fake.

It's because the squatters show a phony lease to the cops and the cops refuse to do the slightest bit of work to see if they are legit. It's called a "work stoppage" and innocent people get screwed over.

The one in Douglaston Queens that was in paper recently was pretty smart. The squatter saw obituary of a widower in paper out of town kids. He moved in. He then since in house has access to dead owners paperwork drew up a below market lease and copier owners signature and changed locks. He also rents all the furnished bedrooms on AIRbnb. The kids sold it to a new owner telling them tenant in place! The new owner did not realize it is not a real tenant but a squatter with a fake lease. There was a few months left on lease and new owner got a few bucks off thought he get some below market rent a few months then kick them out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If these leftwing states don’t change their laws, they practically are begging SCOTUS to rule that homeowners have a constitutional right to use deadly force to remove squatters.

I'm crossing my fingers for such a case to get there!

-DC landlord

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people are even forming companies helping others to squat. Go out to dinner, come home to a person/people in your home with faked leases. Vacation home? Ditto. In some states, can take up to a year to get them out. Seattle is having a real issue with this right now, as is New York and Massachusetts. One of your best protection from this arduous eviction process is being able to prove when someone entered your home. Outside cameras are good. Outside cameras hooked to monitored security companies better, and if they give you a signal via an app that your home was entered at the same time, better still. There are also companies forming that help you evict these squatters using the same methods they used to get in. Interesting concept!

As someone who owns a vacation home in another state, this has always been a concern. It's even more so now.

Beam microwaves at them until the headaches make them go nuts. Throw some carbon monoxide in the mix. These onerous squatter laws drive people to go KGB.

[Anonymous]

Hide a carbon monoxide generator in the vents with an arm and fire switch. Sulfuric acid + formic acid will do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as I can tell, all of the stuff about “squatters’ rights” in this thread is all entirely BS fear mongering.

In DC, “squatters’ rights” (adverse possession) require 15 YEARS of continuous occupation. The possession must also be “actual, open, notorious, exclusive, continuous, and hostile.” So totally unrelated to tenants (to whom these conditions do not apply) or to people committing B&E. In California, it’s 5 years, and you must have been the one paying property taxes and you must have made improvements. In NY, it’s 10 years.

Is this thread another pre-election effort by Ivan?

Oh ffs. Stop it with the paranoid Russian bot accusations.

The issue is not adverse possession. It’s that squatters can invoke tenants rights after 30 days, which means instead of getting the police to remove them as trespassers you have to go through housing court.

And they use fake documents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as I can tell, all of the stuff about “squatters’ rights” in this thread is all entirely BS fear mongering.

In DC, “squatters’ rights” (adverse possession) require 15 YEARS of continuous occupation. The possession must also be “actual, open, notorious, exclusive, continuous, and hostile.” So totally unrelated to tenants (to whom these conditions do not apply) or to people committing B&E. In California, it’s 5 years, and you must have been the one paying property taxes and you must have made improvements. In NY, it’s 10 years.

Is this thread another pre-election effort by Ivan?

A simple DC case search proves otherwise. Cases like this can languish for 1-2 years in DC.

Voucher tenant cases have moved to the front of the line in backlogged housing court, can be 2+ years.

In many jurisdictions, turning off the utilities is illegal in these circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just infuriating.

In Georgia......

Charles and Charmaine Allman lived in the same Stone Mountain, Ga. home — located 16 miles east of Atlanta — for the last two decades before officials told the couple Tuesday that they no longer owned the house and had to vacate.

“They made us feel like we were squatters,” Charmaine Allman told WSB-TV. “Just tossed my stuff out like it was trash.”

Most of the couple’s belongings were scattered all over the yard.

The outlet reported that an anonymous man allegedly falsified a deed and submitted the documents online with Dekalb County to claim ownership of the Allman’s home.

The new homeowner told the couple he had purchased the home from a foreclosure.

Charles Allman, who refused to leave when asked, was arrested on a Criminal Trespass warrant filed on March 13, according to jail records viewed by The Post.

“I don’t know how this is possible,” Charmaine Allman about her husband’s arrest. “How does this happen, period? It’s very upsetting to see my husband in handcuffs at 77 years old and placed in the car because he didn’t want to leave his home. He has nowhere to go. No family.”

Charles Allman was released from jail Thursday evening.

The laws allowing them to go after paid for homes so easily need to be changed on a national basis. It's one of the risks of paying off a mortgage.

This case makes me sick.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think it takes 30+ days for someone to establish residence. I’d hope one would know if someone has been in their house for over 39 days.

+1 It's not "go out to dinner, and then someone squats in your home". That would immediately be a B&E since they would not be able to show a valid utility bill in that time, nor would they be able to get rid of all your stuff in that amount of time.

But, yes, 30 days, that's concerning.

We are planning to spend a lot of time traveling when the kids are out of the house. I told DH that squatting is a big concern. We will have cameras in the house, and hopefully, neighbors who will keep an eye out. Or, maybe get a house alarm with a company.

It works in blue states with ridiculous laws. It does not work in red states and would be down right dangerous in stand your ground states or strong castle law states.

Squatters have rights in both Texas and Florida. Blue those states are not.

Not in Florida. Not now. Every single state should pass similar laws.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed anti-squatter legislation on Wednesday, seeking to combat individuals who illegally reside in a house that they do not own or pay rent for.

The bill would allow law enforcement to remove squatters who can’t produce a notarized lease signed by the landowner or proof that they are paying rent for the property.

Additionally, there would be penalties for individuals who produce fraudulent leases that are commonly used by squatters.

Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Dade City, sponsored HB 621 and Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, championed the Senate version.

Steele brought up the work that it took to get the legislation perfected and passed unanimously in both chambers.

It's common sense legislation; I expect NY and CA to update their laws in a similar manner.

There was no need for Ronnie to make this some sort of pissing match with other states. He's such a drama queen.

I wouldn't hold my breath on CA and NY doing the same.
Too progressive to have any common sense.
And, DeSantis is right.

+1. I'm no fan of DeSantis, but he's absolutely right and a shot at CA and NY over piss poor property rights is warranted.

Fully. This makes him look good and I don't like the guy

I agree with DeSantis on this. The law probably benefits him or his friends but it’s better than nothing.