Posted on 07/18/2012 4:23:58 AM PDT by beaversmom
In the wake of the foreclosure crisis, it wasn't uncommon to read reports of shuttered homes occupied by opportunistic squatters looking for a free place to crash.
But some squatters don't wait for the homeowners to move out first, CBS4's Rick Sallinger reports.
Troy Donovan and his family returned to their Denver, Colo. home after an extended trip to find the house occupied by another couple.
In their eight-month absence, a rogue realtor named Alfonso Carillo allegedly sold the property to a pair of unsuspecting buyers.
Carillo sold the home for $5,000 under the pretense of "adverse possession," an umbrella law for squatters rights that can be evoked if property owners fail to claim their land for a certain stretch of time. The law varies state by state, but requires 18 years of possession in Colorado.
The Donovans, who were forced to move into their relative's basement, went to court to evict the couple. A judge ruled on Thursday that the adverse possession clause did not apply and ordered the couple to leave within 48 hours.
“We get to get out of the basement, get a full home to live in,” Donovan's wife, Dayna, told CBS. “A home we created and worked very hard in as well.”
Abandoned homes are easy targets for schemes like these, and foreclosed properties are even more susceptible with no homeowners around to defend their turf. In the Donovans' case, they lucked out when neighbors became suspicious of the new owners and tipped them off.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I doubt the invaders would try this in Texas. They obviously are trespassers, and have been there "in the night-time". The owner should return at night -- with a good battering ram, if needed, and other appropriate hardware.
When is a landowner allowed to shoot at a trespasser? According to Section 9.42 of the Texas Penal Code, a landowner can shoot at or use other deadly force against a trespasser if the landowner reasonably believes the land or property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means, or that the landowner himself would be exposed to substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury if the landowner does not use deadly force. A landowner can also shoot at or use other deadly force against a trespasser if the force is immediately necessary to prevent the trespasser's imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime or criminal mischief during the nighttime; or to prevent the trespasser who is fleeing immediately after committing one of those acts from escaping with the property. "Criminal mischief" includes "knowingly or intentionally damaging or destroying, tampering with or marking, inscribing slogans, drawing or painting on tangible property " of the property owner.
Doors can be repaired and blood cleaned off of floors. But, at least, the owner would have their doors and floors back.
Nice. I know we have the “Make My Day Law” here in CO. Not sure how it works out if you are not in the home and the trespasser are.
You mean I could walk into a man’s house and say I live there and when he calls the cops I can just say I live there?
Interesting.
Crazy world. Where is John Wayne when you need him.
This may be why it is, as usual, best not to get the cops involved but handle it yourself.
I’m not sure. He’s been doing this and other fraudulent shenanigans to Hispanic people—I believe he’s Hispanic. Not sure if this couple was in on this being a bogus deal or not. Supposedly he sold them this fraudulent deed for $5K. He didn’t go through any legal channels. It was a transaction between him and the couple. The rightful owners were in Indiana and didn’t know what was happening until they contacted a neighbor 8 months later.
I know I read about this happening in England to an English family. Their squatters were Muslims. I probably read about it on FR. I’ll have to try and find it.
This isn’t the Muslim one in England that I was thinking about, but another one:
Father forced to beg squatters to get out of his new £1m home through the LETTERBOX
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2680909/posts
Okay, maybe it was gypsies:
Immigration officer comes home to find family of Romanian gypsies squatting in her househttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2764489/posts
This is why you hire a “house sitter” to live in your house when you are to be away for an extended period of time. Many college students and young single people would jump at the chance.
“You mean I could walk into a man’s house and say I live there and when he calls the cops I can just say I live there?”
Yeah, pretty much. The cops will not want to get involved in that, they’ll just tell you to take it to eviction court.
That’s what the battering ram is for...
The woman who (we believe) was involved in the murder of my brother did the same thing and was sent up for three consecutive sentences along with the 5 year sentence for defrauding illegals. Her two girls who were children when Bobby was murdered were involved as well and went to prison.
http://www.denverda.org/News_Release/Releases/2005%20release/Harvey%20sentenced.html
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2628939/detail.html
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2009419/detail.html
“On July 12, 2004, in Denver, CO, Golda Torres-Harvey was sentenced to 60 months in prison and ordered to pay $580,437 restitution to victims of her scheme. According to the indictment, Torres-Harvey devised a scheme to defraud citizens from Mexico who were residing in Colorado, by inducing them through false representation to pay her for assisting them in preparing and submitting applications to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. She charged Mexican immigrants a fee ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 to assist them in filling out INS applications. Also, she instructed the immigrants to obtain money orders payable to “INS” to cover her fees. Torres-Harvey purposefully delayed the filing of applications and mailed the applications without the required fee of $70 or $1,000; she kept the application assistance fees for herself. She opened a bank account in the name of “International Network Service” and had approximately 61 money orders payable to “INS” deposited into that account. Torres-Harvey then closed her business and did nothing to assist her remaining clients and the INS rejected the applications that were mailed with no accompanying fee.”
http://www.barabusiness.com/money_laundering_investigations.htm
Sounds like a new business opportunity for house sitters.
Oh, how awful. I’m so sorry for you and your family. Sorry that is an open case. Do the police suspect her too? Are they still working on it?
Spoken like a true, thinking conservative. Remember though, if a person does open a house sitting business, they will have to thank Obama for his hard work.
The kind of people who haven't made a mortgage payment in greater than eight months. As these hadn't.
Thank you! Nope, she was a “victim” Supposedly Torres “kidnapped” her after he killed Bobby (in Lubbock 1987). He was in jail for a year and got out after the jury was deadlocked - either murder one or manslaughter. Judge told the jury if they couldn’t decide he would be re-tried but failed to tell them that they already had a plea deal in the works for a misdemeanor. One year in jail and he was out that day (since he served already) as far as Golda, she scooted away but finally got caught at something. She had an insurance policy on him naming her daughters. Don’t know if the company ever paid off but I bet they did.
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