Homeowner Says Squatters Called Cops on Her for Harassing Them
A homeowner living outside of Atlanta saw her home invaded by squatters before they ended up calling the police on her.
Jo Summers, a 79-year-old who lives in Villa Rica, told WSB in Atlanta, that she has spent the last few months trying to get persistent squatters out of her home. Instead, the alleged squatters went to the police themselves, accusing the homeowner of harassing them.
"I feel so violated. It's just, I never thought this could happen to me," Summers said. "For this to happen really just feels so bizarre, so intrusive."
The squatters originally moved in when Summers rented out her home to a family via a popular rental site.
"I just could not hear this father say he's a father of three children and he's homeless," she said.
The father of the family paid $1,500 of the $5,400 he owed for the first and last month's rent but then never paid the remaining balance.
"Before I knew it, he was no longer in contact with me. He had taken over my home," Summers said.
Summers has lost $10,000 in unpaid rent from the family since they ceased communication in August.
"It just goes to show you, it can happen to anyone," Summers said.
Until she completes the official court process of filing an eviction, experts say there's little law enforcement can do to get the illegal residents off her property.
"Unfortunately, local law enforcement are typically not familiar with civil matters related to real property unless the court gives them specific directives, such as eviction proceedings," title and escrow expert Alan Chang told Newsweek.
The majority of law enforcement agencies are not able to get involved unless there are specifically enacted laws that allow them to do so, Chang said.
"As the squatting trend continues to spread across the country, more tactics will be used against legitimate homeowners and landlords in order to game the system and prolong their illegal activities."
Those considering renting their homes to an unknown person need to be extra cautious, according to Ryan McCall, an eviction expert and principal attorney with McCall Sweeney & Silva, P.C.
"This is an unfortunate scenario where people with good-hearted intentions are taken advantage of," McCall told Newsweek.
Generally, homeowner rights vary by state, with few states yet to implement laws that protect owners from squatters on their property.
To decrease the likelihood of being taken advantage of by squatters, homeowners are encouraged to avoid letting their property appear vacant and always have a signed lease before giving out the house keys.
"I encourage anyone who is considering renting their home to an unknown person [to] use any and all remedies provided by law prior to the person moving in including background checks and credit reports," McCall said.
"These types of easy and proactive steps can go a long way in preventing cases like this from happening due to the personal and financial information about the person that they can provide."
