ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — What happens when someone shows up and moves inside a vacant home, claiming to have a lease? We tagged along with one Florida homeowner and a property investor to find out.
On July 1, the day Florida's new squatter law went into effect, we were with property investor Alex Jandick, homeowner Brenda Wilkinson, and St. Petersburg Police as they tried to contact a family that moved into Wilkinson's vacant home.
"You had somebody renting this house?" The officer asked Wilkinson.
"No, we did not," she responded.
The officer continued, "How did this person get into this house?"
"They broke in!" Jandick said.
ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska was recently inside the home for a report on so-called "Zombie" houses.
Under HB 621, a property owner can request law enforcement to immediately remove a squatter from their property if the following conditions are met:
- The individual has unlawfully entered and remains on the property;
- The individual has been directed to leave the property by the owner but has not done so; and
- The individual is not a current or former tenant in a legal dispute.
In Florida, it will be quick and simple to reclaim your home from squatters, avoiding costly delays, litigation, and missed rents.
HB 621 also creates harsh penalties for those engaged in squatting and for those who encourage squatting and teach others the scam. The bill makes it:
- A first-degree misdemeanor for making a false statement in writing to obtain real property or for knowingly and willfully presenting a falsified document conveying property rights;
- A second-degree felony for any person who unlawfully occupies or trespasses in a residential dwelling and who intentionally causes $1,000 or more in damages; and
- A first-degree felony for knowingly advertising the sale or rent of a residential property without legal authority or ownership.
In some cases, you might have to call a lawyer. Paluska sat down with Sean Lopez, with the Lopez Law Group, to discuss Florida's new law.
Lopez says the new criminal penalties in the law could serve as a deterrent to would-be squatters.
St. Petersburg Police were called to the home three times to remove the family. On the last call for service, police confirmed with Paluska that they had cited two people for trespassing at the house. One of the people cited agreed to talk to ABC Action News over the phone.
We did not identify the people cited for trespassing by St. Petersburg police because they were not arrested and left peacefully after collecting their belongings.
