This is how police are now enforcing Georgia’s news squatter laws following Channel 2 investigations

new at five Georgia's new tougher penalties against squatters are now the law of the land the new law comes after a series of channel two Action News investigations exposed the loophole squaders were taking advantage of Now consumer investigator Justin Gray is looking into how local police departments are using their new poers to criminally charge squatters Karen we've been reaching out to police departments solicitors General and local magistrates about this to see if criminal citations are now being written to squatters many of the Departments tell tell us they are still trying to figure out how all this is going to work but South Fulton has already created a special task force just to go after squatters armed with the authority of this new law I know everybody think you can go in the house and squat and sit that law changeed the other day that law changed the other day when police officers knocked on the door of this South Fulton home this month armed with new powers to sight squatters criminally on the spot the suspected squatters ran out the back door all these fake leases and I got receipts for this and I rented this no no no that's over with so we're basically putting these Quarters on notice the laws Chang Y squ in my house it was a very different scene earlier this spring when police were called to Paul Call's decab County Home they'll break in your house and then use the law to stay in there where is it you had the lease man yeah you got the police police body camera video was rolling as officers were handed what they suspected was a a fake lease so you got somebody with a fake lease yeah I think the lease is fake but you know there's no way I can prove it so the officers just left told Callin and the suspected squatter it's not a criminal matter this will take time like we we can't put you out cuz we not here for that and uh he have to deal with it with L courts and so they shouldn't be in there for you know a minute they should be you know out immediately are you selling a squatter home right here after an exclusive Channel 2 Action news hidden camera investigation and a series of viral Channel 2 Action News squatter stories Georgia lawmakers rewrote the law on squatters spelling out that this is a crime that must be dealt with in Magistrate Court in a matter of days not weeks or months this is no longer a civil matter um once this law was passed it has now became a criminal offense hi yeah it's Justin Gray from Channel 2 are you squatting in this home no I'm not you're not this is one of the first houses South Fulton police have visited under the new La just last week they determined the suspected squatter is in the eviction process with the corporate landlord who is looking to recoup $60,000 in unpaid rent you feel like you all can react quicker now absolutely I think with the current law that is now in effect we will be able to react more proactively let's go back to Paul callen's home Channel 2 Action News cameras were there the day Marshalls evicted Teisha Bailey from the house but look what we found right down the street a few weeks later criminal trespass notice decab Marshalls been evicted by the decab Marshall's office Jane Doe evicted here according to the paperwork but look at the belongings see anything familiar how about the same suitcase we notice the luggage tag here Teisha Bailey that's the same woman at the other Home according to court records the alleged squatters here claim to have been scammed that's the same thing Teisha Bailey says about Paul callen's house Bailey told me in an Instagram message that she's no squatter that she is a scam victim who was evicted from suspected squatter homes twice in a month so yeah this is crazy like I Lally spend half of my tax in here here on my kids it's crazy because they they're just going to find the next victim and get out of that one but under the new Georgia law suspected squatters now will immediately be issued a criminal citation all all and so under the new Georgia law suspected squatters are supposed to immediately be issued a criminal citation and have three days to present a lease if that lease is fraudulent this goes from a misdem meter case to a felony another thing with the new law is that it doesn't have to just be the homeowner who reports this now anyone a neighbor an HOA can call police and say we want you to investigate this squatter home and it looks like what you found though was some of the people renting the homes didn't know they were squatting they were giving their money to a company that was being B that with them we see that in some cases we also see people saying that and that is what gets worked out in court that is what these magist courts are going to decide wow a lot going on Justin thanks

Channel: WSB-TV

Views: 2,606,845

Keywords: WSB-TV, Fox5, Atlanta, Georgia, WAGA, news, 11Alive, channel 2, fox 5, atlanta news, wsb, 11 alive, ajc, abc news, wxia, georgia news

Id: M7jA1fN7lPg

Length: 4min 40sec (280 seconds)

Published: Tue May 21 2024