The National Rental Housing Council estimates that squatters occupy more than 1,200 vacant rental properties in Atlanta, Georgia. bloomberg Recently reported. The trade group found that squatting appears to be far more prevalent in Atlanta than in other metropolitan cities in the United States.
Many are concerned that the city’s squatting crisis is completely out of control, with some homeowners offering freeloaders money to vacate their properties. . According to Bloomberg, landlords are forced to wait more than six months to evict illegal tenants due to overcrowded sheriff’s offices and backed-up court systems. Local police are currently unable to help the homeowner as it is considered a civil matter and their hands are tied.
Simon Frost, chief executive of commercial rental property manager Tiber Capital Group, has written a letter to local authorities calling on them to help deal with the ongoing illegal tenancy crisis, the news agency reported. Ta.
“Squatters often brandish weapons and threaten neighbors, including children,” Frost wrote. “This issue is rapidly escalating and we are concerned about the impact this will have on the safety and livability of local neighborhoods.”
In October, a house in the South Fulton neighborhood turned into an illegal strip club. Squatters occupied the residence, held parties, and kept horses on the property. A SWAT team was eventually dispatched to remove the freeloaders. During the raid, law enforcement recovered multiple stolen items, including two vehicles, a weapon, and credit cards.
Online rental listings make it easy for squatters to identify vacant properties. WSB-TV reported that some criminals are trying to cash in on the squatting crisis by advertising on social media that they can help freeloaders find housing to take over. Mehta’s since-deleted Instagram account contained story posts explaining how to illegally reside on someone else’s property, the news agency claimed.
“The business owners will come out, the police will come out, and the police will say there’s nothing they can do about it, it’s the squatters’ rights,” the article said.
Social media accounts advertised new year specials including a one-time payment of $1,400 for keys and fake rental agreements to help squatters “save money and turn their lives around.”
Michael Holmes, a homeowner and victim of illegal occupation, said: WSB He said Atlanta’s intruder problem was a “nightmare.”
“I feel like I donated $200,000,” he said. “If we can’t resolve this somehow, we’ll be at risk of filing for bankruptcy.”
“It makes you feel like, ‘Why play by the rules when everyone doesn’t have to play by the rules?'” Holmes added.
The state Legislature recently introduced a new bill. House Bill 1017This would give local police officers the power to remove trespassers. WSB report.
Georgia’s Trespassing Reform Act “makes trespassing a crime and the police can come and remove them from their homes,” said state Republican Rep. Devan Thiebaud.
“House Bill 1017 tells squatters, ‘No more freeloaders, no more free riders,'” said state Republican Rep. Matt Reeves. “Let’s stop document fraud. If you falsify documents and get caught, you’ll get jail time. That’s wrong.”
“These squatters are stealing the American dream,” he added.
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