(LibertySociety.com) – Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed an anti-squatting bill into law on March 27 after a Venezuelan illegal migrant TikTok user went viral for giving instructions on how to take up residence in houses they did not own. DeSantis released a statement about HB 621, writing, “We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida.” He noted that some states were catering to the squatters, but that Florida was on the side of property owners and would punish “criminals looking to game the system.”
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody commended the state for being an example to the nation once again. She blasted the Biden administration for its dereliction of its duties at the southern border, which has resulted in millions of illegal migrants flooding the streets of America’s cities. Moody also referenced the video, which she said prompted the state to get out ahead of scammers’ plans to squat in Florida homes. She thanked DeSantis and Representative Kevin Steele for successfully advancing the bill to the governor’s desk.
Professional anti-squatter squasher Flash Shelton also praised the new law, telling Fox News that Florida contributed to a new precedent that should be adopted nationwide. Shelton’s mother’s California home was taken over by squatters in 2019 after his father died. He studied California’s laws and was able to have the squatters removed from his mother’s residence in less than 24 hours. Shelton is the founder of the United Handyman Association, which is an independent trade association that brings together professionals to set standards and promotes quality work for the industry.
Shelton said that he took advantage of his popular YouTube handyman channel to bring awareness to the squatter problem. He then started Squatter Hunters, which helps homeowners legally remove squatters from their homes. Squatting activity has been on the rise in New York for quite some time, with multiple incidents of homeowners facing prosecution for attempting to remove squatters from their homes.
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