Here’s how crafty squatters connive to steal your home. And how you can stop them
Originally published in
Staten Island Advance
on
.
New York lawmakers have toughened laws in a bid to attack the problem of squatters who illegally occupy houses.
But homeowners can also proactively protect themselves from crafty squatters, who have plenty of weapons at their disposal when it comes to stealing a home and claiming it as their own.
TOUGHENING SQUATTER LAWS
Language in the recently passed state budget excludes squatters from tenant protections.
An earlier bill from state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/Southern Brooklyn) contained similar squatter-defining language; doubled the time period for tenancy rights from 30 to 60 days of possession; incorporated squatting into the definition of criminal trespass in the third degree, and enhanced lease provisions.
“For too long, my constituents have grappled with the current reality where individuals unlawfully occupy their spaces without any recourse. We witness distressing scenarios unfold in the news week after week — hardworking homeowners facing legal repercussions for rightfully reclaiming their own property from individuals who brazenly occupy it without consent,” Scarcella-Spanton said. “No one should return home to find their property seized by squatters, who now have more rights to their property than they do.”
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