(Washington Examiner) Squatters in Florida will now face criminal charges for moving illegally into private property.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed legislation on Wednesday to criminalize squatting, adding that he believes Florida will be the first state to directly ban the practice.
“You are not going to be able to commandeer somebody’s private property and expect to get away with it. We are in the state of Florida ending the squatter scam once and for all,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Orlando.
In one instance, a squatter reportedly moved into a $500 million home in Bonita Springs and was found in the owner’s clothing.
The law allows property owners to call the sheriff’s office to remove squatters if they can’t produce documents showing they are authorized to live there, and it allows owners to file an affidavit showing ownership of the property. Before the passage of the legislation, squatters were considered tenants and homeowners would have to endure lengthy court battles to remove them.
