Here’s How Three States Are Taking On The 'Squatting' Issue

Chances are that you’ve seen some news reports in recent months about a spike in the number of “squatters” across the United States. The term refers to people who target typically uninhabited homes and begin living in them without the permission of their owners.

And in some cases, it can be a huge legal hassle to evict the squatters once they move in.

In response to the trend, a handful of states have begun passing new laws aimed at making it easier and less expensive for homeowners to force squatters out.

Let’s take a look at how three southern states are implementing laws that their supporters hope will catch on nationwide.

• Alabama: Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill that went into effect earlier this year, which increases the criminal penalties against individuals found guilty of illegally occupying a home and/or using false documents to indicate they are permitted to reside in a home. The new law also empowers police to expedite the eviction process against squatters.
• Florida: Although it won’t be implemented until next month, the Sunshine State’s approach has been among the strictest in the nation by essentially repealing all of the existing safeguards that squatters have cited in their efforts to stave off eviction. Gov. Ron DeSantis said upon signing the bill in March that his state is “ending the squatter scam once and for all.”
• Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp signed the Georgia Squatter Reform Act into law in April, approving measures similar to those enacted in Alabama. In addition to measures that “stiffen the penalties” and “speed up the eviction process,” Kemp said the law will also “allow the property owner to go after these squatters for damages.”

Other states, from Pennsylvania to Texas, are in various stages of advancing bills aimed at bolstering homeowners’ rights.

Chris Agee June 22nd, 2024

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