Florida Homeowners Warned About Taking Squatters to Court

Homeowners in Florida received a warning about taking squatters to court, amid ongoing issues with property rights across the nation.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd appeared on Fox News' Fox & Friends to speak about squatters in Florida and how homeowners should handle these issues. When asked by the show's co-host Lawrence Jones if there was any legal action homeowners could take, Judd said, "You can sue them, but you can't get blood out of a turnip."

"They don't have anything, what little money they have they stick up their nose or in their veins, they're just a bunch of dopers and freeloaders, we call them squatters," Judd said. "So, yes, you can legally sue them but it's a waste of time and effort, most of the time."

The Context

In recent weeks, there have been several incidents in different states across the U.S. involving squatters and attempts by homeowners to have them evicted from homes they do not own.

Squatters' rights is a term used to refer to "adverse possession" laws, which permit someone to take ownership of something, most commonly a piece of real estate, that they do not officially own by possessing or living in it for a set amount of time, or "squatting" in it.

What We Know

Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed new legislation relating to squatters and property laws in the state. The legislation allows homeowners in the state to get assistance from law enforcement in removing squatters from their homes as well as increasing penalties against squatters.

The legislation makes it a "second-degree felony for any person who unlawfully occupies or trespasses in a residential dwelling and who intentionally causes $1,000 or more in damage."

After signing the legislation, DeSantis said "We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida...While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system."

While speaking further with Newsweek on Monday, Judd said that in Florida there is a "civil" way to deal with squatters but noted "when you get into the civil court, that's a months and a years long business depending on where you are, in order for it to move through the civil system."

"But they're also committing criminal violations of law so we've been able to successfully deal with them by using criminal statutes and that gets them out," Judd told Newsweek. "But these folks don't have anything."

Views

While appearing on Fox & Friends, Judd said that before DeSantis signed the legislation, officers in Polk County were previously taking action against squatters and taking them to jail.

"Across this nation, if you get tired of it, do something about it. We do that every day and that's why our crime rate is at like 50-year lows here in Polk County, Florida," Judd said. "You don't have to make it a civil deal when somebody breaks into your home...for whatever reason your property is empty, people don't have the right to move in, turn the electricity on, change the locks and claim it as theirs."

"Just use your current laws and go arrest them and lock them up," Judd added.

What's Next

Judd told Newsweek on Monday that squatting "is a nationwide issue," but noted that in Florida different laws and statutes have helped officers be "proactive" in combatting these situations.

In New York, a new law has been proposed that seeks to allow homeowners to have squatters removed immediately, based solely on a sworn complaint from the owner.

Update, 4/1/24, 7:50 a.m. EST: This story has been updated with further information.

Update, 4/1/24, 8:30 a.m. EST: This story has been updated with further information.