Rise in Homeowners vs. Squatters Incidents Prompts Action from Lawmakers

Patti Peeples says she was taken by surprise last year when she discovered her unoccupied home in Jacksonville, Florida, wasn’t actually vacant.

A pair of squatters broke into one of her investment properties that was up for sale, changed the locks and caused damage to the house, Peeples alleged. To make matters worse, the squatters claimed that they were rightful tenants and produced a phony lease, according to a police report.

Peeples, 61, filmed a confrontation with the squatters; video shows the occupants of the home striking Peeples and demanding she leave the property. She told "Nightline" that her nightmare got worse after the police said they could not pursue criminal charges against the people who had moved into her residence. [Read more ...]

{Source:  abc News}