Protecting Property Rights from Squatters

American Thinker ^ | 05/10/2024 | S.T. Karnick

[SeekAndFind]

The rising problem of squatters illegally occupying people’s homes has become so obvious that even the mainstream media have recently been paying some attention to it, and lawmakers are beginning to take action.

A survey by the National Rental Home Council found 1,200 homes in Atlanta alone have been taken over by squatters, News Channel 8 in Atlanta reports. Georgia enacted a law in late April to speed up evictions of squatters. “We will be watching this develop over the next year,” Atlanta’s Fox 5 TV channel stated.

NBC Nightly News ran a national story on property owners’ difficulties in getting governments to cooperate in removing squatters. Local New York City TV stations and newspapers extensively covered the story of a Queens homeowner who was arrested for changing the locks on her house to keep squatters out. A local Los Angeles TV station took viewers “inside a multi-million-dollar mansion that residents say was being used by squatters.”

NBC News reported on the arrest of two New York City teens after the dead body of the apartment owner’s daughter was found in a duffel bag in the space they were illegally occupying (after the woman who was killed went there to check on the property; obviously not a coincidence). Newsweek reported on a Georgia squatter demanding $190,000 in damages from a property owner who tried to have him evicted.

Newsweek also reported on a Bellevue, Washington landlord who has been blocked from entering his home for the past two years because the state granted a squatter a Temporary Protection Order against the homeowner.

[SeekAndFind]

The New York Post led the way in exposing this problem with its laudable coverage of the NYC squatter story highlighting the fact that local governments often favor people illegally occupying houses over the property owners, plus its report on a Tik Tokker from Venezuela “with a 500,000 strong online following” who “is offering his comrades tips on how to ‘invade’ unoccupied homes and invoke squatters’ rights in the United States,” in a clip that has drawn more than 3.9 million views. Other outlets picked up both stories.

[Carriage Hill]

Find a grove of tall trees and 'decorate' them...

[SeekAndFind]

Joking aside, it only takes a governor and legislators to solve this problem.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation in March that increases penalties for squatting, authorizes police to remove squatters immediately, sets criminal penalties for presenting a fake deed or lease, prohibits the unauthorized sale or renting of residential properties, and makes it a felony to cause $1,000 or more in damages to those properties.

House Bill 621, aptly named simply “Property Rights,” passed unanimously in both houses of the state legislature.

YEP, UNANIMOUSLY. This included DEMOCRATS.

[FlingWingFlyer]

You gotta carry your own “judge” under the seat in your truck or car.

[rdcbn1]

This kind of explains a lot of the bizarre entitlement aggression we see on the part of illegal aliens

People in seriously screwed up, poverty stricken and violent countries are being told by illegals who just arrived that they are getting to stay in hotel for free, free medical care and a free monthly cash payment equal to a years income in their country.

Then they are told that all they need to do to get a home that they could never dream of in their home country is just move in and take it away from its American owners

These illegal aliens are literally modern day Vandals and there will be violence once we stop giving them all the swag they are accustomed to .

Seriously, illegals are making outrageous demands above and beyond the insanely generous benefits and filing grievances over what they are being given in Colorado

[FlingWingFlyer]

These Illegal Alien Vandals (IAVs) looks like a bunch of Price Is Right contestants on a Gringoland Cruise.

[TribalPrincess2U]

ATTENTION GOV, ABBOTT! ATTENTION GOV, ABBOTT!

>In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation in March that increases penalties for squatting, authorizes police to remove squatters immediately, sets criminal penalties for presenting a fake deed or lease, prohibits the unauthorized sale or renting of residential properties, and makes it a felony to cause $1,000 or more in damages to those properties.

House Bill 621, aptly named simply “Property Rights,” passed unanimously in both houses of the state legislature.<

[rdcbn1]

I think you are onto something there

[piytar]

Good on DeSantis.

This is the only part that surprised me: “This included DEMOCRATS.”

[Albion Wilde]

bump