What Is a Squatter?

A squatter is a person who settles in or occupies a property without legal permission or claim to the property.  Squatters live on land or in buildings where they have no title, lease, or right.

In some cases, a squatter may gain legal rights to the property through 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:adverse possession, a legal doctrine that a♔llows individuals to claim ownership of land under certain conditions.

In essence, if a property owner neglects or does not r𒀰egularly check their land or property for years, the squatter may eventually claim the land as their own after meeting specific legal requirements.

Squatting and the Law

Every U.S. state possesses its own laws regarding squatter's rights and adverse possession. For example, certain states require continuous possession of seven years to acquire privately-owned property, in addition to other requirements. State laws regarding squatters and adverse possession can be superseded by local laws in some cases.

For example, the state of New York grants adverse possession rights to squatters if they occupy a property for 30 days, they gain the legal right to remain on the property as a tenant of the owner even though they never signed a lease agreement. The tre🍌spasser might break into an unoccupied property and begin openly living there. This may happen with investment properties that do not currently have tenant🌸s.

If the trespasser is caught soon enough, they can be removed by the police and arrested. Squatters who go undetected by the owner and remain on the property for 30 days will require a legal eviction to remove them from the premises.

The length of time it takes for eviction proceedings to be completed may prompt property owne𝓀rs to offer to pay off squatters to remove themselves from the property.

Example of a Squatter

Suppose a woman named Felicia bought a two-bedroom investment property in 2010 in Brooklyn, New York. In 2015, she stopped renting the apartment and it sat empty for several months. Facing foreclosure, Felicia decided to put the apartment on the market. Unfortunately, she discovered that a taxi driver had been✱ living in the apartment for months.

Felicia called the police and reported the stranger for trespassing. After the police removed the man, she had the locks changed. However, since the man had been living there for over 30 days, he had established squatter's rights. Kicking him out of the apartment constituted an illegal eviction. When the squatter went to housing courtꦰ in New York City, the judge granted him permission to enter the p🅠roperty just a few days later.

The Bottom Line

Squatters occupy properties without permission, and under certain conditions, can gain legal rights to the property through adverse possession. State laws vary, and in places like New York, squatters can gain rights to remain on a property after just 30 days of continuous occupation.🧔 Property owners should be vigilant about mainta♐ining and inspecting their properties to avoid the complications and lengthy legal processes associated with squatters.