Legislators are working to fix loopholes that protected squatters at the expense of property owners.
Squatters have often forced property owners into lengthy and expensive legal battles to take back their homes by exploiting tenant protection laws enacted during the pandemic. Scammers will often falsify residency documents, sell off appliances or turn homes into drug dens, The Washington Times reported.
Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a New York state senator who represents part of Staten Island and Brooklyn, told the Times she has constituents who are afraid to go to Florida for the winter or let a visitor stay in their home.
Previously, a squatter in New York could stay in a house or apartment for 30 days and be legally recognized as a resident, though the law was recently overturned after numerous incidents, according to the Times.
Incidents included teen squatters accused of beating a Manhattan apartment owner to death, a Queens homeowner being arrested at her late mother's home for trying to change the locks on a group of squatters, eight people squatting inside a basement in the Bronx, and a squatting duo trying to use a Shake Shack receipt as proof of residency at a home in Queens, the Times reported.
A squatter is now defined in New York as a person living in a house without proper documentation, which allows police to get involved without forcing homeowners to go through an eviction process.
New York is not the only place plagued by squatters. Atlanta had 1,200 squatting incidents in 2023, while Dallas-Fort Worth had 475 squatters, according to the National Home Rental Council.
Georgia also took action with new legislation that treats squatters as trespassers rather than tenants. An accused squatter would have three days to provide proof of residency or face potential charges. Florida recently passed similar legislation.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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