Just days after a New York woman was removed from her home and arrested due to “squatter’s rights,” Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that ensures when police knock on the door, they stand on the homeowner’s side.
“We want the law to have the thumb on the scale and in favor of law-abiding property owners and that’s what you’re going to see here with this piece of legislation,” he said.
“What you can do now if you’re the victim of squatting ... simply fill out a form, give it to your local sheriff, and the sheriff is instructed to go and remove the people who are inhabiting your dwelling illegally.”
The bill also creates legal penalties for squatting, including a second-degree felony for unlawfully occupying or trespassing in a residential dwelling and intentionally causing damage totaling $1,000 or more.
In explaining the intention behind the bill, Mr. DeSantis said it was prudent to react to what is being seen in other parts of the country.
He referred to two New York cases—one in which squatters were given tenants’ rights after 30 days, and the second involving two illegal immigrants who allegedly murdered the owner of the property they were squatting in when she confronted them.
Mr. DeSantis also said that Florida homes are at a greater risk of squatters due to the number of senior citizens living in the state, as well as the number of seasonal residents who only actively occupy their homes for part of the year.
“We believe in the rule of law,” he said. “We believe in private property rights. We think it’s good that people can aspire to own a home ... we even are proud that we’ve got a lot of seasonal residents here.”
The governor said it was great that people decide to come to Florida for half the year. And if they do leave, they know they can leave their house unattended.
“They’re not going to have some rogue person move in and then try to assert rights against the lawful property owner, so the squatter scam ends today with my signature on this piece of legislation, and the state of Florida will be better for it.”
Mr. DeSantis appeared at the office of State Attorney Andrew Bain and signed it in the presence of Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, other lawmakers, and citizens directly affected by squatters.
They said they were grateful for the bill as it modernized a complicated civil process that could take longer than a month to complete.
One man named Justin shared how his family-friendly neighborhood was affected when squatters turned a vacant house into one filled with drug users and prostitution.
The neighbors worked with law enforcement to make arrests associated with the house but couldn’t evict the squatters.
“We were told to leave the squatters alone, ignore them, don’t engage as a law-abiding and taxpaying citizen,” he said. “We were told to stay in our homes while these criminals carried on. We were prisoners in our own homes because of these squatters.”
“Imagine that you leave for vacation or take leave to take care of a sick family member, only to return home and find someone has taken up residence in your home,” Mr. Bain said.
“Then go through a month-long ... court process proceeding to remove that squatter, and then be left with the bill to get your home back ... that you worked so hard to purchase.”
Sheriff Lemma said the term “squatters” was actually a very kind term, and they were “criminals and con artists that need to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
He said the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association supported the bill.
HB 621 goes into effect on July 1.
