DeSantis Signs Bill Protecting Florida Homeowners From Squatters

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โ€˜We believe in the rule of law,โ€™ the governor says. โ€˜We believe in private property rights.โ€™

Just days after a New York woman was removed from her home and arrested due to โ€œsquatterโ€™s rights,โ€ Floridaโ€™s Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that ensures when police knock on the door, they stand on the homeownerโ€™s side.

โ€œWe want the law to have the thumb on the scale and in favor of law-abiding property owners and thatโ€™s what youโ€™re going to see here with this piece of legislation,โ€ he said.

โ€œWhat you can do now if youโ€™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.โ€

House Bill 621 recognizes a property ownerโ€™s ability to request law enforcement assistance in the immediate removal of a squatter if that person has broken intoโ€”or otherwise unlawfully enteredโ€”the property and remained there, especially after being asked to leave, and that individual isnโ€™t a current or former tenant in a legal dispute.

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 casesโ€”one in which squatters were given tenantsโ€™ 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.

โ€œWe believe in the rule of law,โ€ he said. โ€œWe believe in private property rights. We think itโ€™s good that people can aspire to own a home … we even are proud that weโ€™ve got a lot of seasonal residents here.โ€

Byย T.J. Muscaro

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