A Georgia man whose rental property was seized by suspected squatters while he was away caring for his sick wife was relieved Monday when local police complied with the suspects’ request to leave, according to a report.
“I’m not sure if it’s worth it,” said Paul Cullins, the rightful owner of the DeKalb County property. WSB-TV in Atlanta Last week, at least three people moved into the empty house and changed the locks.
Cullins said one of the squatters presented a false rental agreement on his cell phone, but did not have any physical documents to provide.
Georgia homeowner’s rental property seized by squatters while caring for sick wife: ‘Very frustrating’
Georgia resident Paul Cullins’ property was taken over by suspected squatters in his absence. (Fox News)
“It’s frustrating, but I’m glad it’s resolved,” he later told WSB-TV reporter Tom Regan, who is covering updates on the case. In one case, Regan stood in the doorway and went inside the home to confront the suspect.
In a segment aired on the channel this week, he asked questions of the squatters, but they refused to answer.
Regan then spoke to a man inside the house who, without giving his name, claimed that he and his family were victims of a scheme by a fake leasing agent.
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Aerial photo showing the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. The metropolitan area continues to grapple with a squatting crisis that has garnered national attention. The state Legislature is looking to end this situation. (Joe Soum/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Cullins believes the alleged squatters entered into fake leases after seeing advertisements for the property posted online, and does not believe those who took over the property were defrauded. .
According to local reports, one of the people inside the house was the unidentified squatter’s 4-year-old daughter. Cullins hated seeing her child involved in a situation like this, but she said she was relieved the incident was over.
according to previous report From the outlet, Cullins inherited a fortune from her father, who passed away from cancer three years ago.
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He spent thousands of dollars renovating the property before posting an ad for it online.
Squatters have taken over several homes in the Atlanta area, creating an expensive predicament for property owners with limited options to resolve the problem under current law.
Georgia lawmakers are currently seeking a solution through the Georgia Squatting Reform Act, HB 1017, which would make squatting a distinct criminal offense.
The bill passed unanimously in the Georgia House of Representatives last week and will now be introduced in the state Senate before potentially reaching Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk.
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