(RepublicanJournal.org) – News of squatters terrorizing homeowners across the country recently inspired Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to take action. He signed a bill that goes after people who would otherwise take advantage of easily abused laws. The move empowers homeowners and stops squatters in their tracks.
DeSantis announced in a press release that he signed the legislation, HB 621, on March 27. The conservative governor said that while leaders outside of Florida were enabling the unlawful tenants, he and local lawmakers in the Sunshine State were working to eliminate “the squatters scam.”
He noted the illegal immigrant issue, claiming many of the people the Biden administration has allowed to cross the border have plotted to take over Americans’ homes as part of their plans to live in the country without proper documentation. The Florida governor insisted that HB 621 would protect residents against such schemes.
Under the new law, a property owner can have a squatter removed immediately by the police as long as the person entered the premises unlawfully, refuses to leave despite requests by the owner to do so, and hasn’t been a tenant living at the residence.
HB 621 also imposes harsh penalties on people who engage in or help others “game the system” in order to unlawfully claim someone else’s home. Now, individuals who create or try to use fake documentation to claim a property are subject to first-degree misdemeanor charges. Damages squatters cause totaling $1,000 or more now warrant second-degree felony charges. Also, anyone who makes an unauthorized attempt to list a home that isn’t theirs faces first-degree felony charges.
DeSantis insists the changes will help property owners take back their homes without worrying about lengthy and costly litigation or missed rent revenue. Meanwhile, in other areas of the country, hard-working Americans are struggling through heavy layers of red tape — some even losing their homes completely — to thieves who’ve learned how to turn the laws against them.
Copyright 2024, RepublicanJournal.org
