Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Today's Daily Highlight from Elvis Duran in the Morning show.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Squatters. Now, this has been a huge story of late
where people have a house they got from their mom
who passed away or whatever, and it's been empty for
a month or whatever. They go over to check on
the house and you know whatever, make sure the toilets
are flushing. There's someone living in it, right, They're like,
what are you doing here? Well, in some places they
(00:28):
have a right to be there, even if you own it.
They are squatters without paying you, without paying you, insanity.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I know.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
There have been stories lately here in the New York area.
There was a woman I believe in Queen's you were saying,
she went to a similar conversation, went to her mom's house.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Yeah, her mother passed away. She took some time getting
herself together, went to the house to clean things up,
found people living there, asked them to leave. They told her, no,
we're not leaving, We're going to stay here. So she
changed the locks.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
She got arrested.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
What exactly, Yeah, because she kept them from their house
because they had squatters' rights. Go back to that our favorite,
one of our favorite musicals of all time, Danielle Rent. Yeah,
that was about a bunch of people who really talented people. Yeah,
great voices, great voices.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, dancer living where they were squatting.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Living in the East Village, I guess right.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
And actually one of their friends owned the property, and
so they thought like they even had more rights because.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Right, they couldn't get rid of them because they could sing. Well,
something changes everything if you're a singing squatter. So I
it's just it baffles my mind that if you go
out and you pay, you know, money for an apartment
or a house, and someone moves in. I think in
New York State, thirty days is it? Keep it?
Speaker 6 (01:45):
Mind?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Worth saying what we're just reading on the surface, right,
thirty days?
Speaker 4 (01:49):
It looks like so in some places they said, if
you've been in a place for ten years, then you
have a right to squat there. But then they're saying
thirty days is all it takes in New York State
to be able to squat on someone's property and just
stay there.
Speaker 7 (02:00):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So it could be wrong about this. Look, I think
you still technically own it. It's just a very very
laborious project project to get them out of there. It's
a lot.
Speaker 7 (02:11):
I saw a case where some squatters they were charging
other squatters to come in and move in in a
place that they didn't even own. So like there was
like a main squatter and he was charging other squatters
to live there while they were trying while the person
that actually owned the property was trying to get them out.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
So these asses can become landlords property exactly crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Well, so it kind of makes me scared. I'm want
to get home real quick after work. No really, So okay,
we're trying to figure out where the squatter's rights came from,
and I was under the impression I could be wrong here,
maybe very clear that Let's say you're renting you were
you have a legal lease with a landlord, and you're
renting an apartment, and then you cannot for whatever reason
(02:53):
pay the rent and their circumstances there including pandemic or
whatever you could then I think you've been given rights
to not be pushed out so fast. But what if
you don't have at least you just move into an
empty place.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Right, So this seems like something that was rooted in
the settlement of the United States could be where everybody
was coming here and just squatting on property that wasn't theirs,
and then they make these laws and say, hey, this
is ours.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Now, you can't get me out now here we are.
But that was a land grab. When we're all going
west to pan for gold back in the day, you
see a land from other people.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
And now it continues.
Speaker 6 (03:34):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I'm just this is one of those stories. I just
don't get it. What's that I do know that?
Speaker 5 (03:39):
You know, it's basically maintaining a property, right because I
had a vacant lot next to me to my house
and doing some research. If they haven't maintained a lot
for ten years, then you can claim ownership. But then,
like you said Elvis, it's a long laborious process. Yeah,
to do that. Yeah, if you if you own the
house or the lot, you still own it. But you
(03:59):
can't just call the police and have them kick them
off the property. Well, depends on what state you're in.
Speaker 7 (04:05):
Yeah, because in Florida now they just passed the law
now that it's illegal squatters that you can't have them
removed from the property.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Now in the state of Florida, that's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
I just asked my husband, who's a real estate agents
New Jersey. So I said do you know the rules
of squatters in New Jersey? And he said no, They
change all the time and they are very intricate, so
it's tough to know the exact laws and allowances of
what landlords can do.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I will tell you, huh. Not far down the road
from our house, out in the country, there's people living
there that don't own their house really, and so we're like,
what do we call the police. We're trying to find
the owners. We can't find them. Someone passed away, then
it got passed down to someone, someone bought someone in
the family bought the house for a dollar, just you know,
change the name over to them, and yeah, can't find them.
(04:51):
Here's Alisha, Alicia. This happened on your street, right right.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah, I live in Connecticut. A woman down the street
passed away and the house was vacant for months, and
when her family finally came in to sell it, there
was actually a squadron there who had moved tables and
chairs and appliances that didn't work because there was no power.
But he had a full grown a rug in there.
He was living in there for months at the time,
(05:17):
and when somebody actually finally bought the house, he refused
to leave, so they changed the locks, but he broke
in through a window and they still let him stay there.
The cops let him stay there.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well, I see, I don't I don't understand.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It doesn't make sense if it's not yours, it's not yours.
I mean, why is it not that simple?
Speaker 2 (05:34):
I don't know, but I'm assuming there are there are
rights group human rights groups out there that saying no, no,
no no. I mean, it's been the news a lot.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
It took a lot to finally get him out. Somebody
finally bought the house and started to flip it, and
then they must have filed something to get him out officially.
But yeah, he had a full living room in there,
He had stuff in the kitchen, he had food in
the pantries. He was just living there for free.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Wasn't there a story? I guess I think it was
here in New York there was a guy going online
and he was communicating to a lot of immigrants who
are coming over the border, saying, here's here's how you
get a house. Look to these houses that they're empty,
move in, and so I think he is. They let
him have it.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Still, I have a question if somebody goes say, you
know a lot of people get summer homes, so they
move out of their mansion because they get a summer
home down the beach and it's beautiful. So they're not
in their home for three months. Can I technically then
move in?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Really, this happened in California, Los Angeles. There's a mansion
like in bel Air that they took it over. They
took and everyone in the neighborhood knows, And of course California,
being an extremely liberal state, they're like, well, no, we
can't do anything. Oh look, uh hobby, Yeah yeah, God,
give me an a dress. I'm gonna go squat.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Seriously, I know some people who get a nice summer
home too, and their other house is not too shabby.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Lisia, thank you very much. I hope everything gets worked
out on your street.
Speaker 6 (06:52):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Love you, guys, love you more so asking for a friend.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
If my apartment building has been irritating me with something
and I just stopped paying rent, they can't kick me out.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
There's a process they have to go through. Their eviction
process is very lengthy. Yeah, they can't just move your
stuff in a hotel. If it's a hotel, it's different.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Okay, I think I think this happens with Airbnb's a
lot too. I've seen some videos of people who had
a renter then those renters just stayed and they couldn't
do anything to get them out.
Speaker 7 (07:22):
It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
We have someone sent a text. Is this the one
you're talking about? Yeah, they're oh listening this morning. I'm
going to court this morning for a squad that's living
in my Brooklyn property and they've taken me to court
for repairs. What so we have the holdover in one
court room this morning and then the case against them
is for repairs they're assuming because I'm not repairing my
(07:47):
place I own.
Speaker 5 (07:48):
I spoke to him. He didn't want to go on
the air. Okay, they've been there for two years, and
I asked him, well, how much have you spent in
legal fees?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
He goes, I couldn't even calculate that at this point. Wow, Stephanie,
this is so wild. Stephanie, you work for a landlord
tenant court, so you still see all this all the time.
So you live in the state of New York. So
what's going on in the state of New York as
far as squatters.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
Well, they have rights. After thirty days, the landlords or
owners have to take them be court to have them removed.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Let's just come find that. Yeah, they have Why do
they have these rights?
Speaker 6 (08:20):
Where?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Where does this come from? New York state law?
Speaker 6 (08:24):
Thank your congressman.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
But at some point, Stephanie, I'm just kind of curious
they had to put this into law, and something caused
them to put it into law. I'm trying to wonder.
I'm wondering what story there is to tell about why
squatters have rights and we can't figure that out.
Speaker 6 (08:41):
Yeah, I can't figure that, but they do. They do
have rights. And it's a long process. And you know,
it goes by how long they've been in the property.
If they've been there up to a year, you have
to give them a thirty day notice. A year to
two years, it's a sixty day notice, and anything over
two years it's a ninety day notice.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
O my god. All right, Stephanie, thank you, Stephanie, thank
you very much.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Nice to talk to you.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I love you, guys, We thank you.
Speaker 6 (09:10):
Well.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
You know what, we've been here for thirty years because
we're squatting. They've been trying to evict us for years.
All right, thank you Stephanie, thank you very much. What's up? Scary?
Speaker 8 (09:20):
So if I own property and you break into my house, yes,
you can be arrested for breaking and entering. Yes, so
I still own that property and squats show up, why
don't they get arrested for breaking it?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
If they're well in the state of New York, if
they're there thirty days, they're they are protected more than
more so than not. So there, okay, okay, oh, here
you go. Once you use that microphone over there, you
found it. Why do squatters have rights?
Speaker 5 (09:45):
It's to help urban residents find affordable housing. Well, that's
extremely affordable. What a good deal. It was a legal
right meant to allow people to settle in abandoned or
unused properties or to build homes on unclaimed land. The
intent was to prevent people and property owners from taking
law into their own hands, encouraging resolution through legal channels
instead of potential physical confrontations.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
So initially it did start through colonialism.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, homestead Act. Land is claimed. I own it.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
It's land is my land.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
It's not your land. From California to New York Islands,
from the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters. This
land's made for you and me. Yes, it is apparently
you have a point. I don't.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
I'm just you know, there are abandoned buildings all over
the place. So if I go and find a mall
and I just sit there for thirty days, then that
mall is mine.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I don't know. I don't know. Maybe a residential thing,
maybe a mall thing. I don't know. You can live
there at Gandhi. You can live there at the old
anti end stand. This is Gandhi Square mall. Yeah. So
when Centata, Texas Anna Delvey, didn't she squant?
Speaker 6 (10:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I think she did.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
This is crazy.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I know, We're just trying to figure it out. It's
so strange.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
I guess the lesson is every twenty nine days, check
on your property.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Yeah, how do you prove? How do you prove along
they've been there? How you got to prove that?
Speaker 4 (11:16):
I don't know if someone I'm not advocating for this,
but if someone hired other people to extract those people
from the house.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
I've heard how they do this, Okay. How you send
someone to your house and have them remove the heating system,
the unfinishing system, make sure there's no electricity going to
the place. You pull the doors off the hinges on
the front door of the back door. Okay, a lot
of money. It does cost a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
I was thinking more like, hire some big people to
just yank am out.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Of the house. How Gandhi style. Now you're gone, goodbye.
Yeah it's economical.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Yeah yeah, but then they're going to say something. You know,
they got hurt and harassment.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Yeah, you get taken a jam.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Yeah, I don't know, insanity.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I don't know. I'm not saying I just don't know anymore.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
This is the first time I've been thankful to have
no property.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Thank God, I have no property. We got to hurry
if I gotta get a home.