Sen.  , John Fetterman, D- Pa.,  , said , last week that tenants have” no freedom”. He may try to convince his Democrat colleagues and their even- kept allies because their widespread effort to restore property theft has led to the unprecedented , squat crisis , in America. Their final objective is to end all forms of property rights and replace socialism with communism.
Tenants use properties without the masters ‘ consent or any other legal documents to practice trespass. Nor do occupiers present property owners monetary compensation. Atlanta, Georgia, is the center of the tenant problems. Tenants have overtaken about , 1, 200 properties.
One of the victimized homeowners, Lt. Col. Dahlia Daure, said she felt “violated” after learning that a tenant with a lengthy criminal record lived in her home rent- completely with a phony lease while she was absent on effective duty.  , In Dallas, Texas, tenants have occupied an estimated , 475 properties. Yet high- end areas are not completely from squatters. In Beverly Hills, California, a group of squatters , took over , a$ 4.3 million castle, tormented their companions with quiet all- evening parties, and dumped debris all over the house. To eventually get rid of these settlers, it took a dramatic police raid.  ,
Squatters frequently engage in criminal activity in illegally seized properties, in addition to trespassing and violating homeowners ‘ property rights. Residents of Texas and Colorado are being tormented by a serial squatter who is running rings around the police, while residents of Atlanta and Los Angeles have been ravaged by criminals who turn homes into strip clubs and hosting all-night raves, according to , Dailymail.com. Last week, New York police , raided , a home in the Bronx occupied by squatters who were illegal immigrants. Police found guns, drugs, and a 7- year- old in the house.
At the risk of putting themselves in danger, desperate property owners have to wait months or years before evicting squatters legally or taking matters into their own hands. New York City homeowner Adele Andaloro was  , handcuffed by police , last month when she tried to change the lock and kick out squatter Brian Rodriguez. Adele inherited the$ 1 million home from her parents, but Rodriguez planned to let illegal immigrants rent his properties.
Authorities in another squatting incident in New York City resulted in the arrest of two squatters who allegedly beat homeowner Nadia Vitels to death on March 12 when she confronted them.
Results of a Systemic Effort
The wake Democrats ‘ systemic effort to normalize property theft since the Covid- 19 pandemic is the cause of this squatter crisis. In April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) imposed an eviction , ban, even though the agency , lacked legal authority. The landlords were prohibited from collecting rent and evicting tenants by the ban. The CDC essentially invalidated the majority of rental agreements and violated landlords ‘ property rights with the eviction ban.
The eviction ban was intended to be a temporary measure that would end at the end of 2020. However, after Joe Biden became president, his administration renewed the federal eviction ban three times until the U. S. Supreme Court , lifted the ban , at the end of August 2021. Still, the court decision failed to prevent some Democrat- controlled states and municipalities, such as Alameda County, California, from extending the eviction ban well into 2023, long after the pandemic was over.
Some tenants have been encouraged to avoid paying rent for a while while occupying the properties as a result of the eviction bans and their numerous extensions. Many property owners have been facing financial hardship because they have been unable to collect rent for months and years. Last year, a landlord in California , staged a hunger strike, alleging that the eviction ban had cost him$ 120, 000 because his tenants had n’t paid rent for 37 months.  , But Democrats support eviction bans while ignoring landlords ‘ sufferings.
The left normalized property theft through their defense of looting, in addition to the eviction bans.  , In her 2020 book, In Defense of Looting, Vicky Osterweil , argues , that , looting is not an illegal act but a necessary form of wealth and property redistribution in an unjust society. Looting “gives people what they need for free right away, which means that they are able to live and reproduce without having to rely on jobs or a salary.” A year after Osterweil’s book was published, California’s Democrats , passed a law to decriminalize robbery.
Because criminals continue to smash, grab, and loot stores in broad daylight in 2024, helping the left to normalize property theft, as police and store clerks have learned to look the other way. Retail giants such as , Walgreens , were forced to shut down some stores in Democrat- controlled cities, such as San Francisco. There is a direct correlation between the left’s tendency to normalize looting and the Democrats ‘ current squatter crisis.
Squatters ‘ Rights Laws
America’s current squatter crisis has been made worse by blue states’ and cities ‘ overly lenient squatters ‘ rights laws, which are also known as “adverse possession” laws. According to these laws, a squatter has the legal right to stay and use a property if it is occupied for a period of time without the owner bringing legal action against it. New York City ‘s , squatter rights law , allows a squatter to obtain tenant rights after living in a property for 30 days.
Property owners are subject to financial and legal repercussions from the squatters ‘ rights law, which makes it necessary for them to fight a protracted legal battle to remove squatters. Squatters live on the property for rent-free and are not subject to trespassing charges. However, property owners will be detained as long as the legal process is ongoing for changing the locks on the properties or removing squatters ‘ belongings. Some squatters even brought legal owners for money using squatters ‘ rights laws.  ,
Even illegal immigrants started to use the squatters ‘ rights law in blue states because it favors them so much. Leonel Moreno, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela,  , shared , squatting tips on TikTok , on how to , “invade” American homes. He invoked squatter’s rights, claiming that under U. S. law, “if a house is not inhabited, we can seize it”.
Some leftist organizations have used their taxpayer-funded resources to assist squatters in fighting property owners ‘ legal eviction proceedings, adding insult to injury. In Bellevue, Washington, landlord Jaskaran Singh , alleged , a serial squatter, Sang Kim, and his family have n’t paid rent since May 2023 while living in Singh’s$ 2 million rental property. The Housing Justice Project ( HJP) of the King County Bar Association provided Kim with free legal counsel.
After Singh’s” Landlord Lives Matter” protest outside his rental property drew national media attention, HJP used taxpayers ‘ money to pay back close to ,$ 90, 000 , in rent that Kim owed. The HJP, however, continues to help Kim delay eviction efforts, including requesting a stay on the court’s eviction order. Singh and other fed- up property owners , protested , in Bellevue recently, blaming the HJP and Democrat leaders, including Gov. Jay Inslee and State Sen. Patty Kuderer, for enabling a squatter crisis in the state.  ,
Independent journalist Jonathan Choe, who has been covering Singh’s case since the beginning, posted on X that in Washington state,” Democrats, especially the progressive wing, are circling the wagons. They are aware that if Singh wins, it will have significant political effects on landlord/landlord laws. Basically, this mom &, pop landlord has laid out the playbook to fight back against this broken system”.
Democrats ‘ systemic effort to normalize property theft is the cause of America’s current squatter crisis. Their ultimate objective is to end all property rights and replace socialism with free-market capitalism in America. Never forget that socialist revolutions in nations like China started with the suppression of private property rights and the demonization of landowners. Americans must acknowledge that the left has put our country in a dangerous position and must take all necessary steps to protect our property rights because private property rights are the foundation of a free society.
