ATLANTA — The state Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday to fight back against squatters after a series of Channel 2 Action News investigations exposed the problem.
For months, Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray has been reporting on the issues caused by squatters across metro Atlanta.
The bill’s sponsor, State Senator Ed Setzler (R-Acworth), compared the legislation to a shot clock, saying it creates a clear path to getting squatters out of homes and facing charges.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The Georgia House of Representatives already unanimously passed the bill, so now it heads to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk to be signed into law.
The bill makes it clear that squatters would be charged with trespassing.
The squatter will be given three days to produce documentation and then a hearing will take place in magistrate court seven days later.
As Gray has reported, squatters are counting on a civil, not criminal, eviction process and have been taking advantage of court backlogs that can stretch out for months.
RELATED STORIES:
- ‘This is stealing’ Channel 2 goes undercover as Instagram account lets you squat in metro homes
- Instagram deactivates house squatter account following Channel 2 investigation
- New House bill would finally make it clear squatting a criminal act in Georgia
In an undercover Channel 2 Action News investigation that has been cited by lawmakers in hearings, Gray showed you how criminals are advertising squatter homes for rent on social media and telling people they can live rent-free until the long eviction process plays out.
“They are weaponizing procedural processes to keep from having accountability. This just streamlines both the landlord’s rights and the ability of the accused to get clarity and justice so it can be adjudicated actively and not be drug out over the course of months in the courts,” Setzler said.
Lawmakers say they hope this will close the loopholes that people have been using to squat in these homes.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
This browser does not support the video element.