Squashing squatter scams in Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida is cracking down on squatter scams, and one Jacksonville resident inspired the bill that became law today.

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Patti Peeples struggled with removing unauthorized people from living in her house. She was getting ready to sell it, and she said police couldn’t do anything about it.

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Now, with this new law, she says she is feeling hopeful.

“It feels so successful,” Peeples said. “It is a sweet, sweet victory.”

Peeples drove to Orlando to watch Governor Ron DeSantis sign House Bill 621 into law today. This, after the House and the Senate voted unanimously in favor of it.

RELATED: Gov. DeSantis signs bill targeting ‘residential squatters’

“You are not going to be able to commandeer somebody’s private property, and expect to get away with it,” Governor DeSantis said. “We are in the state of Florida ending the squatter scam once and for all.”

The new law will allow homeowners to legally remove a squatter from their property.

“We don’t want the law to have a thumb on the scale in favor of people that are violating the law, we want the law to have a thumb on the scale in favor of the law-abiding property owners,” Governor DeSantis said.

Homeowners can have law enforcement arrest squatters immediately, and squatters could face charges for trespassing, and presenting fraudulent documents. They could even face felony charges if they advertise the property for sale or rent and if the damages to the property are more than $1,000.

RELATED: ‘Squatters have far more rights than legal homeowners;’ Florida bill cracking down on squatters

“It really puts some teeth behind this bill that not only protects homeowners and legitimate renters, but it gives a disincentive for squatters to play this game here in the state of Florida,” Peeples said.

It all began last year when Peeples cried out for help after going through a nightmare trying to remove squatters.

“The squatting situation that I had was absolutely the most frustrating, unfair, ridiculous experience I’ve ever been through in my life,” Peeples said. “When the police pulled up and told me that they were professional squatters, I was astounded. But then the next line out of the police officer’s mouth was, ‘And we can’t do anything to help you.’”

Squatters had lived in Peeples’s property for 36 days rent-free. She said they gave the courts a fraudulent lease – granting them the right to stay longer.

RELATED: Group accused of squatting in Georgia home says they were conned; homeowner relieved they’re gone

“I couldn’t turn off the electricity or the water, I had to given them an inhabitable domicile,” Peeples said. “And I could not even step foot on my own property because it would breach their right of privacy.”

The squatters’ cost Peeples a lot of money - she lost a home sale, had to pay attorney fees, and burdened her homeowner’s insurance company with recovering the damages.

After suffering through that, she said she now feels relief.

“I feel like this is really the way democracy ought to work,” Peeples said. “We need to be vocal when things are not working for us in our city.”

Now, the new law will return rights to property owners and give them some peace of mind when they aren’t there – whether it’s for investments or vacation.

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The law will take effect on July 1st, 2024.

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