States scramble to close legal loopholes squatters use to take homes from owners

In this March 30, 2020, file photo, resident Marie Salas, left, sets a banner on her home fence reading "Squatting is not the Answer," across the street of a formerly vacant home that was recently taken by a group of …

“People are afraid … especially our elderly constituents,” said Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a New York state senator who represents parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn. “We have a lot of constituents who maybe go to Florida for a month or so in the winter, they’re afraid to leave their home behind. Some people have even brought up that they get worried about having a visitor for an extended period of time if it’s not a family member who they really trust.

State lawmakers based in the city proposed a flurry of bills to address the issue, with some seeking to define what a squatter is while others look to put more pressure on the vagrants to prove they live there. Horror stories abound in Atlanta: One real estate agent told local media that a band of squatters sold off the appliances and left “feces everywhere” inside a house that had been “move-in ready.”

“They are not tenants, they are criminals,” Ms. Hatcher told The Times. “We have to have a clear delineation within our law that specifies that you can’t just break into a property and be automatically considered a tenant.” Ms. Kemp couldn’t speak to statistics on squatting in Orlando, but she said she knows multiple real estate agents who have had trouble with intruders — including herself.But when the new tenant arrived in Florida two weeks after signing the lease, the home’s lockbox was missing. Ms. Kemp said the tenant peaked into the home and saw trash and food strewn about.

Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)

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