DeSantis signed a bill that strips squatters rights and protects homeowners. We would have more legislation like this if the squatters targeted the homes of the state congressional people.
. https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/gov-desantis-signs-law-that-strips-squatters-rights/3269754/
I’m surprised he had the time while passing other important laws like bigger wine bottles.
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/gov-desantis-signs-bill-on-larger-wine-containers/
It will take about 10 minutes for landlords to exploit this. It seems like in the current world actual squatters shouldn’t be very protected. But I can see sleazy landlords taking advantage without stiff penalties for lying on the affidavit.
That and he kicked Mickey in the balls.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/27/business/disney-desantis-florida-lawsuit.html
Meatball Ron 2028!
I’m surprised he had the time while passing other important laws like bigger wine bottles.
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/gov-desantis-signs-bill-on-larger-wine-containers/
You don’t want to join the rest of the world and get big format wine?
It will take about 10 minutes for landlords to exploit this. It seems like in the current world actual squatters shouldn’t be very protected. But I can see sleazy landlords taking advantage without stiff penalties for lying on the affidavit.
A valid lease means you’re not a squatter
Good for him. Squatters rights, why would these people even have rights, have gotten totally out of control.
Look at this that I saw on the NBC morning news just about a week ago;
This guy is not only squatting, he’s apparently renting out rooms!
I honestly don’t understand squatting laws, so if someone smarter than me here (there are plenty!) could explain it, I would appreciate it:
In my mind, if I own a home, but there’s someone that has moved in and trying to stay there, why the hell can I not move myself in, change the locks so that only I have the key, have a 30-yard dumpster set out in the driveway, and start throwing their shit away? If I own it, they do not have a lease nor ever had a lease, how can anyone say that I cannot clean my own damn house out of shit I don’t own and don’t want there?
Granted, if I’m renting it to someone, they had a lease and either broke it or it ran out and decided to stay, yes - then I realize you need to go through the proper channels to have them evicted. But without those quantifiers, how does a squater have a leg to stand on? (Pun not intended, but I’m Ok with it…)
There are crazy laws, apparently often dating back to the 1800’s (though some laws much more recent) seems to the reason. With variations on the craziness across states and other legal jurisdictions. A super crazy one was in the news recently - a guy overstayed a one-night stay at an iconic NYC hotel, and ended up there for five years, even being named on the deed of the *entire hotel *at one point.
Thankfully going to jail very soon.
That and he kicked Mickey in the balls.
https://www.nytimes.com/...florida-lawsuit.html
Meatball Ron 2028!
With his special boots?
It will take about 10 minutes for landlords to exploit this. It seems like in the current world actual squatters shouldn’t be very protected. But I can see sleazy landlords taking advantage without stiff penalties for lying on the affidavit.
A valid lease means you’re not a squatter
If everyone were always organized with coherent paperwork we wouldn’t need near as many lawyers.
But I’m sure no one has ever had a cash tenant with no lease they can immediately lay their hands on. So there should never be the possibility of issues. The laws around needing to go through an eviction developed for a reason. I have no sympathy for actual squatters but don’t pretend this doesn’t open up new issues when all you need is an affidavit and a cop.
I honestly don’t understand squatting laws, so if someone smarter than me here (there are plenty!) could explain it, I would appreciate it:
In my mind, if I own a home, but there’s someone that has moved in and trying to stay there, why the hell can I not move myself in, change the locks so that only I have the key, have a 30-yard dumpster set out in the driveway, and start throwing their shit away? If I own it, they do not have a lease nor ever had a lease, how can anyone say that I cannot clean my own damn house out of shit I don’t own and don’t want there?
Granted, if I’m renting it to someone, they had a lease and either broke it or it ran out and decided to stay, yes - then I realize you need to go through the proper channels to have them evicted. But without those quantifiers, how does a squater have a leg to stand on? (Pun not intended, but I’m Ok with it…)
Squatter laws are really tenant protection laws gone berserk and people taking advantage of them, like the guy in the NBC News video. He stands there spouting his crap about “take me court” and y do he won’t show up and he’ll be gone.
It will take about 10 minutes for landlords to exploit this. It seems like in the current world actual squatters shouldn’t be very protected. But I can see sleazy landlords taking advantage without stiff penalties for lying on the affidavit.
A valid lease means you’re not a squatter
If everyone were always organized with coherent paperwork we wouldn’t need near as many lawyers.
But I’m sure no one has ever had a cash tenant with no lease they can immediately lay their hands on. So there should never be the possibility of issues. The laws around needing to go through an eviction developed for a reason. I have no sympathy for actual squatters but don’t pretend this doesn’t open up new issues when all you need is an affidavit and a cop.
A lease free rental is a completely foreign concept to me. Neither party has the protections from it.
I honestly don’t understand squatting laws, so if someone smarter than me here (there are plenty!) could explain it, I would appreciate it:
In my mind, if I own a home, but there’s someone that has moved in and trying to stay there, why the hell can I not move myself in, change the locks so that only I have the key, have a 30-yard dumpster set out in the driveway, and start throwing their shit away? If I own it, they do not have a lease nor ever had a lease, how can anyone say that I cannot clean my own damn house out of shit I don’t own and don’t want there?
Granted, if I’m renting it to someone, they had a lease and either broke it or it ran out and decided to stay, yes - then I realize you need to go through the proper channels to have them evicted. But without those quantifiers, how does a squater have a leg to stand on? (Pun not intended, but I’m Ok with it…)
Rather than ask whether a squatter has rights, think of it in terms of whether someone has rights to show that they are a tenant and not a squatter. There may be a disagreement whether someone is a tenant or a squatter. In that regard, the issue in part is what sort of process (court, police, etc.) we should have to resolve the disagreement. So, asking whether you can chuck their stuff in a dumpster presupposes that you’re right that they are a squatter. But, what if you’re wrong and they are a tenant? Landlords can make mistakes, or be intentionally wrong, and this raises the issue of what steps needs to be taken to assure there is no wrongful eviction. While the new FL law makes it much easier to evict someone, the landlord faces significant liability if the eviction was wrongful.
There is a separate issue concerning “adverse possession.” Under that doctrine, if you have occupied property for many years (the number varies by state) and meet certain other requirements, then the property is yours. You own it. Here, like the tenant situation, there is an issue of who decides whether a squatter is entitled to adverse possession. Ultimately, it is up to a court to decide. In the meantime, you can see the problem that could arise if you get rid of someone’s stuff even though — as a court later decides — they have been there so long it’s actually their house, not yours.
I honestly don’t understand squatting laws, so if someone smarter than me here (there are plenty!) could explain it, I would appreciate it:
In my mind, if I own a home, but there’s someone that has moved in and trying to stay there, why the hell can I not move myself in, change the locks so that only I have the key, have a 30-yard dumpster set out in the driveway, and start throwing their shit away? If I own it, they do not have a lease nor ever had a lease, how can anyone say that I cannot clean my own damn house out of shit I don’t own and don’t want there?
Granted, if I’m renting it to someone, they had a lease and either broke it or it ran out and decided to stay, yes - then I realize you need to go through the proper channels to have them evicted. But without those quantifiers, how does a squater have a leg to stand on? (Pun not intended, but I’m Ok with it…)
Considering this is Florida, I’m surprised more people haven’t just shot the squatters.
We need this in BC. Try evicting a tenant here…my goodness…
No one could have foreseen how this was going to go awry. Oh wait, yes I did.
Barefoot Chard already comes in gallon boxes. I’m good.
Comrade, the police will be sued and the frightful tenants compensated
Agreed. Tenancy laws here in BC are absurdly one sided. A tenant can just decide to stop paying rent, and it’s like 6 months before you can even get a hearing to evict them. Even if you win in court, the odds of you being able to collect are pretty slim.
Yet if your tenant stops paying you and you change the locks, or turn off the utilities, you as the landlord get punished.
We have certainly seen our tenants giving less and less of a shit about our rental. Things get broken, left uncleaned at end of tenancy etc and there is no way to seek compensation. Hell you’re not even allowed to withhold the damage deposit anymore, you have to return it in full then argue in court to take it back. It’s completely insane. Why even have a damage deposit.