[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by logline

The cops should have immediately entered to interrupt a crime in progress. If the big dog attacks... use the pepper spray. I can't believe how impotent the police are in situations like these.

But they're Johnny-on-the-spot with an ass kicking if they see someone having a diabetic seizure.


I'm personally having squatter problems on a house that I have an offer on near Las Vegas High School. Same thing. They just moved in somehow. I'm sure they're going to trash the place and I'm going to cancel my offer. At least it's not my problem. It's the bank's problem.

It really stinks though, because that WAS a nice property at a bargain price.

[tiger08]

Originally Posted by CityWok

So unfortunately there is also the chance the people who moved in don't realize they're squatting, as they could have "leased it" from someone who claimed to be the owner even though they were not. This bogus property manager could have obtained the key from the lockbox, signed a fake lease, collected some rent, and ran. Therefore the police could be giving them the occupants the benefit of the doubt, even though the bank confirmed they're trespassing, these people may not realize it yet.

If the neighbor saw them exchanging the refrigerator for an old one though, that should give the police probable cause to take a more aggressive stance.

The fact that she lurked around inside the house and wouldnt answer the door for the cops, tells me that they are up to no good.
Pretty quiet around here tonight, curious to see how long they last when the power gets cut off.

[jet757f]

How did they get in the house with no key?
If they broke in then it would be breaking and entering.
Surely the cops would have seen some form of forced entry somewhere?

[AlphaBeta]

This topic really infuriates me because the squatters have so many rights.

What would YOU do (I'm asking everyone here) if you went on vacation and came home to people squatting in your house?

I'm hoping that since I have an alarm, that if somebody breaks in, the cops will arrest them if they try to move in.

Most of the articles I have read about people coming home from vacation to find squatters, didn't have an alarm. How could you just stand by with strangers living in your house, with your stuff, and not be able to kick them out? Not sure it has ever happened in Vegas, but it has happened in other parts of the country.

[K.Uni]

Wait.. you're telling me random ppl can just go in your house and live there for free??? What?! Omg I never heard of such thing?!?! Wtf??? How are they able to get away with it??? I don't understand....!?

[EA]

Why do squatters have ANY rights?

[Meemur]

Originally Posted by AlphaBeta

What would YOU do (I'm asking everyone here) if you went on vacation and came home to people squatting in your house?

I'd buy "the boys" some beer and let them take care of the problem.

[timtemtym]

Originally Posted by jet757f

How did they get in the house with no key?
If they broke in then it would be breaking and entering.
Surely the cops would have seen some form of forced entry somewhere?

That was my thought as well! Someone breaks into a house, that is a crime. The cops should have arrested them, not gotten scared off by a big dog.

[ddrhazy]

Originally Posted by K.Uni

Wait.. you're telling me random ppl can just go in your house and live there for free??? What?! Omg I never heard of such thing?!?! Wtf??? How are they able to get away with it??? I don't understand....!?

The problem is a lot of people fake being a landlord and gain access to an empty house, draft up a lease and sign a lease with an unsuspecting tenant. They might have a lease but it's not with the landlord or agent of landlord. All tenants should be using the recorder's website to find out who the owner of a rental is before giving any monies and asking for some ID to verify identity.

As for people who deliberately break into a house and squat, I have heard stories of people who's primary residence was stolen this way and it took weeks/months to evict the house thief.

[unf0rgiven6262]

Originally Posted by LasVegasPlayer

I'm in Summerlin and a house in my neighborhood was squatted for a while. The owner died and the house was not yet in foreclosure.

They were stealing power from their neighbors and had very young prostitutes in it. It took months for SWAT to finally evict them, then they came back. The police then removed them again. They came back later and stole all the appliances. That was about a year ago. The house still sits in shambles.

The house is destroyed and the bank has yet to take possession because they need a fortune just to bring the house into HOA compliance. It sounds like as long as they don't repo the house they don't have to pay the HOA fines and cannot be subjected to a lawsuit to force bringing up to code by the county or HOA.

The squatters claimed that they had a lease signed by the dead homeowner, which was impossible to disprove I suppose. That added to the problems.

Surely there is a way to remove these people without waiting for them to destroy the property, especially since they were stealing electricity.

Wait till they come out for food and well you know. Seriously though, after having my dog stolen out of my backyard, I see a lot of wisdom in how things used to be handled.