A loophole in the law leaves landlords and homeowners across the country with no recourse when squatters take up residence on their properties.
Police often say their hands are tied by irate homeowners when they discover unwelcome residents living rent-free on their properties.
But in these five cases, squatters have made a comeback and, in some cases, secured new beds behind bars.
Blue state squatters warn of ‘aggressive’ laws and mandate bills: ‘People are being killed’
1. Eight immigrants arrested in Bronx home, found illegally occupied with drugs and guns
Eight immigrants found crouched in a Bronx apartment last month were arrested on gun and drug charges after police responded to a report of a gun in the home.
Fox New Digital previously reported that all eight were arrested at the southern border and released into the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
One of them, 24-year-old Hector DeSousa Villata, was charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a fellow migrant in the leg during an argument over a woman in August. However, the case against him collapsed because the victim refused to cooperate.
A group of eight illegal immigrants were found living in a Bronx apartment and are facing firearms and other charges. All were previously captured at the southern border and released, authorities said. (WNYW)
Fired-out New York homeowner says he can’t evict squatters who have “more rights” than him
DeSousa Villata was brandishing a gun when police were called to his Hull Avenue home on March 27, police said. Police followed him into the apartment’s basement, where they reportedly encountered seven more migrants, including a 22-year-old man who attempted to flee with weapons.
of New York City Police Department releases photos They say they found four guns, ammunition, and bags of cocaine and ketamine in the home.
But Bronx Judge Eugene Bowen released six of the eight squatters without bail against prosecutors’ wishes.
2. Squatter who forged documents to sell SUV arrested at dead man’s house
An alleged squatter in Arizona made headlines after he sold a deceased man’s SUV after taking up residence in his home.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office suspects Michael McInnis, 45, forged documents to make it appear he was the real owner of the deceased man’s 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe. This was announced after his arrest on January 3rd.
McInnis was found squatting in an unidentified man’s Cordes Lake home last May, months after its rightful owner died, the department wrote.
Michael McInnis, 45, was arrested by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office on January 3 on suspicion of illegally occupying the deceased man’s home and selling him an SUV. (Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office/Google Maps)
A squatter’s paradise? Lawyer says America’s largest city is ‘playing with fire’ with new rules
Police said they discovered the fraud after McInnis sold the Tahoe to a resident of Flagstaff, about 130 miles away.
His attempts to resist arrest reportedly included “slamming a metal door onto the deputy’s wrist” and swallowing “up to 40” fentanyl pills.
After being released from the hospital, McInnis was charged with nine felonies, including charges related to aggravated assault on law enforcement, forgery and fraud charges.
3. Squatter pirates evicted from boat in Florida, police cite ‘nasty’ sewage
Earlier this year, police in South Florida told Fox News Digital they were cracking down on vagrants living in abandoned boats, citing environmental concerns from fuel and human waste leaks.
Martin County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Budensiek said in an interview with FOX News Digital that residents living in “derelict vessels” (defined as boats in waterways with at least two violations ranging from fuel leaks to missing motors) He explained that this does not mean there are no victims. crime.
”[When boats become] Once inoperable, some of these owners abandon their ships or sell them to others who do not re-register them. Those people, in turn, continue to ride these boats or operate these vessels until the boats are completely unusable. And they can sink, they can leak fuel, they can leak human waste, and they become a real danger to us environmentally,” he said in an interview in January.
“Most of them don’t have functional toilets. … There are vagrants squatting on top of the boats and using the facilities. And the facilities on the boats are directly connected to our estuaries, oceans and rivers. It’s just being drained,” he said.
A derelict boat removed by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office many years ago. Officials say abandoned boats have been a problem in the area for years, but more squatters and homeless people are boarding them. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
Most of these squatters are drug addicts or mentally ill, Budensiek said, and are not working to find work or escape their squalor.
Removal and destruction of boats is expensive, costing between $7,000 and $40,000. But Budensiek said those funds are taken from rowers’ registration fees.
4. Georgia man feels relieved after police remove squatters who had settled on his property while caring for his sick wife
A Georgia man whose home was taken over by squatters while he was away caring for his sick wife was relieved after police were able to evict the unwelcome guests.
On March 4, DeKalb County law enforcement responded to a call to remove at least three people from Paul Cullins’ home, he told Atlanta’s WSB-TV.
When police arrived, a woman presented police with a fake lease agreement on her cell phone, Cullins said, but did not have any physical documents to show them. Cullins said the three intruders even changed the locks on the vacant home.
He said, “It’s frustrating, but I’m glad we were able to resolve the issue.”
Cullins told WSB-TV that he believes the squatters created fake rental agreements after seeing advertisements for the properties posted online. However, one of the men inside the home told WSB-TV that he and his family were victims of fraud by a fake leasing agent.
5. Nashville squatter allegedly caused $150,000 in damage before being busted
Nashville police arrested three trespassers who took up residence in a home that was being renovated, after causing $150,000 in damage, according to the homeowner.
The homeowner told WSMV that when he stopped by the West Nashville property for a routine inspection, he noticed keypad locks had been installed and all the windows were blacked out.
He discovered that squatters had moved furniture, clothing and other valuables inside the Huntwick Trail home. The homeowner said he also left broken windows, holes in the walls and animal feces.
“I’m renting this property. I have a rental agreement. I have the documents,” the homeowner said, recalling a conversation with the alleged squatter, according to WSMV. “I knew he was in bad shape. I told him I was going to call the police.”
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The Metro Nashville Police Department responded to Robert Reynolds, Brooke Livesay and Jason Hay after they refused to leave and charged them with theft, the paper said.
“This is definitely a wake-up call to always watch your back,” the homeowner said, WSMV reported. “Be prepared for things to go wrong and always check your property to be aware of what’s going on.”
