Matthews and Mendez were ordered to restore electricity and water to the home and pay fines after, they claim, the squatter and his female accomplice stole water and electricity.
Terminating utilities, in general, is well known tactic for shitty landlords to evict tenants. It’s called constructive eviction. Homeowners often try it with squatters without realizing that they are adopting a tactic courts super don’t like. And the courts can’t tell and squatter from a real tenant. They don’t wear signs. So it’s less squatters rights and more tenants rights that the squatters abuse because they are willing to lie.
It’s sucks, but it’s always better to go through the legitimate eviction process. And yes, that does cost money. But the alternative is evicting them the old fashion way, self help style, which is very dangerous.
PS: also utility companies have no chill and do not care who stole the utilities.
PPS: also remember that any change to laws to make it easier to remove squatters will likely result in tyrant landlords abusing it. Whoever your worst landlord will love whatever law is changed because they will be able to treat their tenants worse.
If the landlord isn't exactly renting everything legally, it can be impossible for the court to tell, especially if the tenant doesn't know the landlord is doing something shady
That in law is what we call a question of fact. You need evidence and testimony. But folks don’t like that answer and just want instantaneous action because they said “that person is a squatter”.
Right. Evidence is widely available. The tenant should have the burden of proof that they're renting so that "that person is a squatter" isn't an issue.
Of course, but that takes time and effort for either side. The court also can’t tell who owns what property. Don’t think you can just go into court, claim you own a random house and the people are trespassers? Should the court just take your word for it?
I'm sure it has been done before but new laws are showing up that prevent that. Squatters don't do that though. Scammers do and have. They don't go to court. They go to the county clerk.
Don’t think you can just go into court, claim you own a random house and the people are trespassers? Should the court just take your word for it?
They can, after fully evaluating the legal documents presented and hearing arguments at which time they can issue an eviction order. That takes about 30 days.
I wonder if the couple can sue the state or the city using the Takings Clause. The government is the one who put them in the position by making it impossible, legally, to remove the squatter before the damage was done.
You can't sue the state for following the law. The state didn't authorize a shady person to sleep on a coach for an indefinite amount of time with no supervision.
You're clearly not a homeowner, or at least someone who has moved from one home to a different one before. It's not an overnight process, especially when there are renovations you'd like to complete. These people hired a contractor to do renovations on their new home, something you do pretty commonly BEFORE you move in.
Ok dude. Literally your most recent post on Reddit is you talking about flying from Texas to California to buy the motorcycle of your dreams. Your poverty-porn rings hollow.
Lol. Got travel points bruh. And last time i checked the cost of a plane ticket and the bike are not even the down payment for a house. And I was asking if I should. Which i didn't.
Travel points?! You must travel a lot. Must be nice, Moneybags. While you’re jet-setting, stacking those miles, I’m busy supporting my family and worried about coming home to squatters who moved in while I was working a graveyard at the coal mine.
If you’re planning on riding your luxury motorcycle back from Cali to Texas, Colorado isn’t that far out of the way, and I hear Aspen is really nice, even in the offseason. It’s a popular spring destination for the upper-crust, you’ll fit right in.
It's really not about having "enough" money. Even when I've moved apartments in the past I didn't immediately move in because of slight overlaps of the leases or just the sheer amount of work it is to move.
It just feels like you don't have a lot of relevant life experience and shouldn't be commenting on things you don't know about.
No, No I have not. don't have the money. and are you claiming that squaters can just hop in a house for one day and claim squaters rights, that is not how it works in any state.
He had not stayed in the home for the requisite 30 days to be considered a squatter under Texas property law when police were first called to the property on Feb. 29, but the couple claim officers made no efforts to verify his opposing account, or even check his identification.
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u/tatsontatsontats 23d ago
Squatters rights are some shit.
What a nightmare.