Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation to combat squatting, which has become a hot topic in numerous parts of the country.

“Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 621, which protects property rights, provides homeowners remedies against squatting, and increases penalties on squatters,” Gov. DeSantis’s office stated in a press release Wednesday.

“We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida,” DeSantis said.

“While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system,” he added.

“Commandeering a private residence through ‘squatting’ is a scam that violates private property rights. While some states are choosing to indulge this behavior, Florida is putting an end to it,” DeSantis wrote on X.

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“Florida is once again leading the nation, this time in securing our state against squatters,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody.

“Biden has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flood across the border. After video evidence of their plan to take over homes emerged, we’re ensuring Floridians are protected from this egregious and brazen scheme. I’m grateful to Governor DeSantis for signing this important legislation into law, and to Representative Kevin Steele for carrying this bill through Session,” she added.

Cont. from the press release:

Under HB 621, a property owner can request law enforcement to immediately remove a squatter from their property if the following conditions are met:

  • The individual has unlawfully entered and remains on the property;
  • The individual has been directed to leave the property by the owner but has not done so; and
  • The individual is not a current or former tenant in a legal dispute.

In Florida, it will be quick and simple to reclaim your home from squatters, avoiding costly delays, litigation, and missed rents.

HB 621 also creates harsh penalties for those engaged in squatting and for those who encourage squatting and teach others the scam. The bill makes it:

  • A first-degree misdemeanor for making a false statement in writing to obtain real property or for knowingly and willfully presenting a falsified document conveying property rights;
  • 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 damages; and
  • A first-degree felony for knowingly advertising the sale or rent of a residential property without legal authority or ownership.

NewsNation reports:

One Florida woman’s experience with squatters helped shape the new legislation. She spoke to NewsNation about her ordeal.

Florida resident Patti Peeples bought a home, refurbished it and marketed it for rent. But she came to find two women squatting in her investment property, who said they had a right to be there because they had a lease.

Peeples assumed police would arrest them and remove them from her home — but that isn’t what happened.

Squatting has become a nationwide issue, including one case where a woman recorded her experience with a series of face-to-face confrontations with squatters.

Peeples said the women in her house had rights under Florida law. They were allowed to stay there for at least 20 days until a judge declared them to be in default.

“The first emotion was just absolute disbelief that a squatter could break into my house, and they weren’t arrested on the spot for breaking and entering. All the squatter had to do was to pull up a false document, a lease that they downloaded off the internet. And that automatically affords them protection under the eyes of the law,” Peeples said.

Peeples sued to get the women out. It took weeks for the county sheriff to remove them and their possessions.

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