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>> SQUATTERS ARE TAKEN OVER
AMERICA A GROWING NUMBER OF
HOMEOWNERS ARE BEING TORMENTED
BY PEOPLE LIVING FREELY AND
HELPED AS THEY DON’T.
IN REFUSING TO LEAVE.
ACTUALLY GOING TO JACKSONVILLE,
FLORIDA, TO MEET WITH SOME
PROPERTY OWNERS WHO CLAIM THAT
THEIR HOME WAS RAVAGED.
>> WHEN YOU CAME FOR THE FIRST
TIME TO LOOK AT ALL THIS WHAT
WAS GOING TO YOUR MIND?
>> YOUR HEART JUST DROPS AND YOU
JUST WONDER WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE
CAN DO THIS.
>> AM CURIOUS IF YOU DECIDED WE
ARE GOING TO BARGE IN AND TAKE A
PROPERTY BACK?
>> WE WOULD’VE BEEN ARRESTED WE
WERE TOLD THAT VERY CLEARLY.
DO NOT ATTEMPT.
>> IT’S NOT JUST JACKSONVILLE
IT’S A BIG PROBLEM IN
PHILADELPHIA WHERE FICTION CAN
COST THOUSANDS A LEGAL EXPERT
THERE SO SQUATTERS APPEAR TO
HAVE THE UPPER HAND AND IN
MINNEAPOLIS A GROUP OF VIOLENT
SQUATTERS INFILTRATED AN
APARTMENT BUILDING AND CAUSING
RESIDENTS TO FEAR FOR THEIR
SAFETY.
ONE PERSON SAYS THAT SHE
SUFFERED A BROKEN BONE WHEN SHE
TRIED TO STOP A SQUATTER FROM
STEALING HER MAIL.
>> WE ARE SENDING OUT AGENTS AND
THEY ARE FIGURING OUT THAT THERE
SQUATTERS IN THESE PROPERTIES
IT’S REALLY HARD GETTING AMOUNT.
>> THEY’VE BROKEN A HOLE INTO
THE WALL TO A STORAGE ROOM.
RIGHT? THEY ARE IN THERE.
THEY ARE IN THERE.
I FEEL ABANDONED I FEEL LIKE I’M
LIVING IN A GARBAGE DUMP.
>> TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR
INTERVIEWS.
>> YOU’LL SEE ON CROSS-COUNTRY
BUT THESE PEOPLE THE COPS AND IT
WAS FAKE THEY HAVE NO DISCRETION
ANYMORE.
THEY PRINTED OUT FAKE PAYMENTS
AND LANDLORDS.
BECAUSE THE LEGAL SYSTEM THEY
GIVE 30 DAYS THE PLAINTIFF HAS
TO MAKES A CASE IN COURT AND IN
THE MEANTIME THEIR TRASH IN A
PLACE AND GUESS WHAT THEY LOSE
THEY GET EVICTED IN THE MOVE MOV
TO THE NEXT HOUSE.
IT’S NOT JUST JACKSONVILLE IS
HAPPENING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY
AND IS NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE SELLING THEIR HOME SO YOU
WANT TO GO ON VACATION FOR TWO
WEEKS AND COME BACK?
THERE’S A COUPLE THAT IS MOVED
INTO YOUR HOUSE THEY DECIDE TO
PUT PICTURES UP AND MAKE IT LOOK
LIKE THEIR HOUSE.
IF YOU CALL THE COPS THEY SAY
LOOK, THIS IS OUR SPOT.
YOU HAVE TO GO NOT THEM.
SO YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOURSELF
AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CAMERAS
UNLOCK CENTER DOORS.
THIS UNFORTUNATELY UNTIL THEY
CHANGE THE LAWS THEY CANNOT COME
SAVE YOU.
>> THE COPS CANNOT COME SAVE YOU
BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU SAY LOOK I
WANT TO FILE A TRESPASS CHARGE
AGAINST THESE PEOPLE THE COPS
MAY BE MY CONSIDERATE BUT AT THE
VERY LEAST THEY HAVE IDENTIFY
THAT YOU’VE COMPLAINED OF THEM
SQUATTING ON YOUR PROPERTY.
THE COPS ARE MOST LIKELY GONNA
SAY THIS IS A CIVIL CASE YOU
HAVE TO GO TO THE LANYARD COURT
WHATEVER IT’S CALLED.
EVERY STATE HAS DIFFERENT RULES
FOR LANDLORD-TENANT.
THERE ARE CERTAIN STATES THAT A
VARIED TENANT FRIENDLY.
NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, TENANT
UNFRIENDLY IS PENNSYLVANIA.
AND HE GOES ON LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN END UP TRYING FOR A YEAR
TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE OUT.
THERE IS ONE INTERESTING POINT
IN ALL OF THIS FIRST OF ALL THEY
CAN DAMAGE YOUR PROPERTY AND
THEY COULD BE WORTH NOTHING SO
YOU SUE THEM.
YOU MIGHT EVEN NOT KNOW WHO THEY
ARE YOU’LL NEVER GET A JUDGMENT,
YOU’RE NEVER GET THE JUDGMENT
PAID.
SOME CALLED ADVERSE POSSESSION
SOMEONE SOMEONE IS LIVING IN
PROPERTY I LEARNED THAT SOME LAW
SCHOOL.
IF IT’S OPEN CONTINUOUS,
EXCLUSIVE AND ADVERSE AND
NOTORIOUS OCEAN THEY ULTIMATELY
CAN GAIN TITLE TO THE PROPERTY
SO THEY OWN THE PROPERTY.
PEOPLE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL YOU
ARE BUT HAVE TO BE VERY ON TOP
OF YOUR OWN PROPERTY AND KNOW
WHAT THE LAW IS IN YOUR
JURISDICTION BECAUSE THEY COULD
SEE I BEEN THERE FOR FIVE YEARS
I OWN THIS PLACE.
>> ODYSSEY DURING THE PANDEMIC
FOR ALL OF THESE MORATORIUMS ON
EVICTIONS AND IT REALLY CHANGED
THE FACE OF HOW PEOPLE ARE
LIVING.
IT SEEMS NOW THAT THE SYSTEM
WHICH IS BEING COMPLETELY ABUSED
ABUSED.
>> Jesse: THERE ARE THREE
OPTIONS ON HOW TO HANDLE THIS
OPTION.
NUMBER ONE, YOU TURN OFF ALL OF
THE UTILITIES.
YOU TURN OFF THE POWER AND YOU
TURN OFF THE WATER.
TREAT THEM LIKE A ROGUE NATION
AND YOU MIGHT HAVE A
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ON HER HANDS
BUT THAT’S JUST THE DO.
>> THIS COUPLE TRIED TO DO THAT
THAT --
>> Jesse: YOU OUT SQUAT THE
SQUATTER YOU SEEK THEM OUT IN
THE MORNING IF THEY LEAVE THEN
YOU GO IN WITH A NOTARIZED LEASE
OVER THE DEED AND YOU GET IN AND
THEN WHEN THE COMIC IS A SORRY
NO I’M CALLING THE COPS AND YOU
HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE.
>> YOU CAN’T DO THAT EITHER YOU
GET CHARGE FOR CRIMINAL
TRESPASSING.
>> NOT IF YOU HAVE A NOTARIZED
LEASE.
>> Judge Jeanine: NO ONE IS
GOING TO ENFORCE IT.
>> Jesse: GO THE LEGAL ROUTE
WHICH MY LEAST PREFERRED ROUTE
AND YOU MIGHT COME SOMETIMES
YOU’RE RIGHT IT CAN TAKE EIGHT
MONTHS.
FOR THIS TO BE ADJUDICATED
BECAUSE IN SOME OF THESE
JURISDICTIONS THEY TREATED
TENANT IN THE SQUATTER THE SAME.
GOOD LUCK IN ON ARSONIST DUKE
ALSO GO THAT WAY.
I DON’T RECOMMEND THEM.
I DON’T RECOMMEND THAT.
[LAUGHTER]
>> WOULD BE LIKE TO CLEAN UP A
LITTLE?
>> I WOULD LIKE TO BE INVISIBLE.
RUN TV AT LEAST.
>> YOU MENTION THE FEDERAL
MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS SO THAT
ENDED AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME
THERE ARE FEDERAL AND STATE
RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ALL
OF THOSE HAVE NOW EXPIRED IN THE
COURSE OF THREE MONTHS SO THAT
IS WHY YOU’RE SEEING A PLURAL OF
FEDERATION OF SQUATTERS BECAUSE
ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO COULDN’T
AFFORD RENT BUT WERE LIVING
RENT-FREE SINCE THE JENNA
PANDEMIC ARE NOW GETTING KICKED
OUT ON THEIR OWN AND HAVE
NOWHERE TO GO THERE INVADING
OTHER PEOPLE’S HOMES I THINK
THAT’S WHY THIS IS GOING ON.
SO HOW DO YOU SOLVE IT?
I’VE NO IDEA.
NO ARSON.
THIS PROPERTY LAWYER IN PHILLY
YESTERDAY WHO TOLD ME IN HER
STATE IT’S GONNA COST THE JUDGE
COULD PROBABLY TELL US MORE
ABOUT THIS, IT’S GOING TO COST
$5100 JUST TO START LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT
BACK AGAINST SQUATTERS.
>> PENNSYLVANIA AS LANDLORD
FRIENDLY.
>> 5100, THAT SOUND LIKE A LOT
OF MONEY TO ME.
THAT MEANS IN LIKE NEW YORK IT’S
PROBABLY EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE.
[LAUGHTER]
ARE THERE ANY OPTIONS IF YOU
DON’T HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
TO GO AFTER THESE PEOPLE?
OR ARE YOU STUCK?
>> Judge Jeanine: YOU CAN GO
TO TENANT COURT AND FILE IT
YOURSELF.
YOU FILE IT YOURSELF BUT THAT
USUALLY IS A FILING FEE, WHAT IS
A FILING FEE?
TO GET PRO BONO?
DO YOU GET LEGAL AID?
>> AND THE TIME LOST.
>> I LOVE THE WAY THAT JESSE
THINKS, YOU THINK LIKE A TEXAN.
YOU DO.
YOU’RE NOT CAN BE ABLE TO DO YOU
CAN’T DO THAT.
TEXAS WILL COME AT YOU WITH
GUNS.
THAT’S ANOTHER STORY.
[LAUGHTER]
>> YOU CAN CATCH MORE THE STORY