Governor Abolishes ‘Squatter’s Rights’

(DailyVantage.com) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has taken aim at squatting scams in the state by signing a law that essentially abolishes squatters’ rights in the Sunshine State.

“What passes muster (squatter’s rights) in New York and California” will not fly in Florida, DeSantis said. The Florida governor claims that homes in the majority-blue states are “being invaded” and that state governments are “siding with the squatters” rather than the actual property owners. DeSantis further claimed that illegal immigrants are taking advantage of supposedly squatter-friendly policies in Democrat-run states to “commandeer property,” even to the extent of “instructing” fellow illegal aliens on how to conduct the practice.

“We are… ending the squatter scam once and for all,” Governor DeSantis announced.

In his remarks on the signing of the law, the Florida governor also cited a recent incident in New York where two squatters were suspected of murdering the property owner after the latter confronted them about their illegal occupancy of her property. The suspects, who stuffed the body of the victim, 52-year-old Nadia Vitels, into a duffel bag, are at large and have not been apprehended as of press time. In another incident in December last year, a landlord was killed by her teen tenant over the latter’s failure to pay rent.

Under the new rules in Florida, law enforcement has been empowered to immediately – even forcibly – evict squatters immediately. In a separate interview on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” segment, DeSantis also said that squatters will be sent “straight into my jail.”

In contrast, systems employed in states like California and New York may involve protracted legal battles when the squatter is tenacious enough. However, a webpage for a California law firm notes that both squatting and trespassing are illegal in the state, and property owners can coordinate and ask for assistance from their local sheriff’s department to evict squatters if they follow the correct legal procedures. The webpage also confirms that squatters do have the right to claim ownership of a piece of property through “adverse possession,” but the process has many requirements, including occupancy of the property for a very significant amount of time before a claim can even be considered.