Property crime in the United States is rising once again as police departments and property owners are still reeling from the sudden spike that coincided with the 2020 Covid pandemic. This initial spike in crime saw a rise in organized crime targeting retailers, no doubt taking advantage in the political and social unrest that characterized the first year of the pandemic.
This newer spike, however, is targeting residential property owners by taking advantage of the state’s loose rules surrounding occupancy claims. These unwanted occupants, otherwise known as squatters, are organizing to find unoccupied housing units and moving in as a group.
Once the homeowner realizes that the squatters have moved in, they are often horrified to learn that there is very little they can do about it. These organized groups of squatters are often well-versed in the Californian laws governing landlord-tenant interactions, which have been recently modified to make evictions more difficult.
This widely available information on how to circumvent occupancy laws allows them to claim that they have leases and are legally allowed to occupy the property. This forces the owner to go through an expensive and time-consuming legal process to prove that the occupants are there illegally and then forcibly remove them from the property.
This process can take over a year, during which the home owner is unable to collect on rent and the illegal occupants can do what they will with the property. Often, even after the squatters are removed the homeowner is faced with a heavily damaged property that will need significant and expensive repairs.
Fortunately, though, homeowners are not entirely defenseless. The law still provides plenty of protection for property owners, and all that is needed is to fight fire with fire by getting acquainted with the laws governing real estate.
A good example of this is property owners granting legal easements. Easements define what parts of a property non-occupants have legal access to, including roads or paths that allow access from adjacent properties to a municipal road. By defining exactly the “who, where, when” details of outside parties has access to your property, you can help prevent unauthorized occupants from setting up on your land and making a nuisance of themselves.
Of course, not every property owner has the time or inclination to get acquainted with the dense books of laws governing property rights. If this is the case for you, it’s highly recommended that you hire on the services of a real estate attorney to ensure that your property is well protected from unwanted intrusion.
For San Diego property owners, the one real estate law firm that keeps popping up on our radar is Villasenor Law Firm. Villasenor has helped dozens of clients protect their property from unscrupulous and destructive tenants for the better part of a decade, and their highly qualified team can quickly and successfully prosecute any case related to your rightful ownership.
By utilizing the services of a quality real estate law firm like Villasenor, your property stands the best possible chance against encroachment from this new wave of organized property crime. Call today:
Villasenor Law Offices
+18587077771
12396 World Trade Dr Suite 211, San Diego, CA 92128
How To Protect Your San Diego Property With A Qualified Real Estate Lawyer
