FEBRUARY 10TH IS DECIDED TO
SUSPEND THE SEARCH.
>> TONIGHT SOME SAY THE COVID
MORATORIUM ON RESIDENTIAL
EVICTIONS IS PROTECTING
SQUATTERS.
>> Calvin: LOCAL 10 INVESTIGATOR
SPOKE WITH SEVERAL FRUSTRATED
HOMEOWNER WHOSE SAY THE COUNTY
HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCING
EVICTIONS.
>> ARE YOU A SQUATTER?
>> NO, SIR.
>> WHO ARE YOU PAYING RENT TO.
WHAT GIVE YOU PERMISSION.
>> KEVIN HARRIS.
>> NO MR. HARRIS DOESN’T.
>> HIS NAME IS ANTHONY STEWART.
HE IS TAKEN OVER APARTMENT TWO
D. INSIDE THIS BUILDING.
IN MIAMI BEACH, HE IS NEVER HAD
A LEASE, HE DOESN’T PAY RENT.
AND HE HAS BEEN HERE SINCE
AUGUST.
>> NOBODY WILL REMOVE HIM.
>> MR. HARRIS WANTS YOU OUT.
>> I WOULD CALL THE POLICE AND
THEY SAID THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN
DO.
AND VETO GO THROUGH THE LEGAL
SYSTEM.
>> HE OWNED APARTMENT 2 D., HE
WENT TO COURT LAST DESKS HE GOT
THIS WRIT OF POSSESSION FROM A
JUDGE.
IT IS AN ORDER INSTRUCTING THE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE IN THIS CASE,
THE MIAMI DADE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, TO REMOVE STEWART.
>> CALL THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
THESE A DOZEN TIMES.
THEY SAID WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING
BECAUSE THE MAYOR OF DADE COUNTY
WON’T LET US.
>> I SHOT HER A LOT OF EMAILS
AND NOBODY EVER GETS BACK WITH
ME.
>> STEWART SAYS HE SPENT $20,000
ON LEGAL FEES TO HAVE STEWART
REMOVED.
>> IT MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL.
I HAVE A SQUATTER LIVING IN MY
CONDO THAT HAS NO RIGHT, NO
LEASE.
I AM MAKING THE PAYMENTS AND HE
REFUSES TO LEAVE.
AND NO ONE WILL MAKE HIM LEAVE.
>> IT APPEARS THIS IS NOT AN
ISOLATED INCIDENT.
CAN ANYBODY TALK TO ME ABOUT WHO
HAS BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO
LIVE HERE?
THESE INDIVIDUALS THREATENED TO RELEASE A DOG ON US AFTER WE
RELEASE A DOG ON US AFTER WE
ASKED WHO GAVE THEM PERMISSION.
ORDERS THE REMUIR OF THESE
PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER HAD A
LEASE, AND HAVE NO LEGAL RIGHT
HOOK HERE.
>> WHEN TIME CAME FOR THE
SHERIFF TO EXECUTE THE WRIT,
THEY SAID WE AREN’T GOING TO
EXECUTE.
TO WHICH WE SAID THESE PEOPLE
ARE NOT TENANTS.
>> AND THEN THERE’S PATRICIA WHO
TOOK MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS.
SQUATTERS THAT SHOWED POLICE A
FAKE LEASE.
AND WAS SELLING SO SHE GOT A
WRIT FROM A JUDGE BACK IN
DECEMBER.
THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION OR
MOVEMENT FROM POLICE TO REMOVE
THEM.
SO WHEN THEY WERE OUT, SHE MOVED
IN. TOOK THEIR POSSESSIONS TO A
POLICE STATION.
>> I HAVE BEEN PAYING MORTGAGE,
PROPERTY TAXES.
THAT PARTIALLY FUNDS THE POLICE
THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT ME.
AND THEY ARE PROTECTING THE
CROOKS.
>> THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS.
>> WHAT YOU HAVE A POLITICAL
BRANCH, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF
GOVERNMENT, INTERFERING WITH THE
JUDICIAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT.
>> WE ARE NOT PREVENTING THE
REMOVAL OF SQUATTERS.
SQUATTERS ARE REMOVED BY POLICE
IF THEY ARE NO LEGAL RIGHT TO BE
PRESENT.
SO IT ISN’T A MATTER FOR THE
COURTS.
>> THAT’S WHAT MIAMI DADE MAYOR
SAID TO US LAST WEEK AT A NEWS
CONFERENCE WHEN WE ASKED HER
ABOUT QUARTERS.
THE HOMEOWNERS AND ATTORNEY WE
TALK TO SAY THEY WERE TOLD BY
POLICE, WHO SHOWED UP THAT THEY
HAD TO GO THROUGH THE COURT
SYSTEM.
CONFUSED.
IN THE CASES PRESENTED TO US,
MIAMI DADE RESIDENTIAL EVICTION
MORATORIUM, SEEMS TO BE
INADVERTENTLY PROTECTING THESE
SQUATTERS.
>> IT IS A PROBLEM, AGAIN, ONLY
IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY.
>> FOR NOW THESE INDIVIDUALS
STILL HAVE SOMEONE ELSE’S ROOF,
OVER THEIR HEADS.
AND IT IS RENT FREE.
LOCAL 10 NEWS.
>> Calvin: THE C.D.C. MORATORIUM
ON EVICTIONS REMAINED IN EFFECT,
BUT DOES NOT PROTECT SQUATTERS. A SPOKESPERSON SAYS SHE IS
A SPOKESPERSON SAYS SHE IS
LOOKING INTO THE MATTER.
POLICE SAY IF SOMEONE HAS A