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03/28/2024 10:39 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20210&cosponId=33510
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House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 15, 2020 09:47 AM
From: Representative Martina A. White
To: All House members
Subject: Removal of Illegal Squatters from Residential Property
 
In the near future, I will be reintroducing legislation to help the police remove illegal squatters from residential properties. The legislation will address situations where a person discovers that there are people illegally living in a house or an apartment that they own and they call the police to have them removed, only to be informed that there’s nothing the police can do to help them. If the trespasser claims to own the property or to be a lawful tenant, the police typically decline to get involved because they don’t know who to believe. Typically, in these situations, they advise the owner to pursue a legal eviction action, which can be a financial and legal nightmare. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon situation, especially in Philadelphia.
 
My bill, introduced last session as House Bill 365, states that if a police officer has probable cause to believe that a person is trespassing on residential property, the officer has the authority to remove the person from the premises. Police must allow a reasonable opportunity for the person to secure and present any proof they may have that they are on the property legally before removing them. Probable cause may be based on a signed affidavit from the property owner stating, among other things, that the person is not and was not in the past a tenant, and that the owner has demanded that the person vacate the premises. This bill does not affect and is not affected by landlord-tenant disputes. Further, any property owner making a false statement can be held criminally and civilly liable.
 
I appreciate your support in finally seeing it enacted into law this session.



Introduced as HB823