Tolleson vacant house issue (Glendale: bank owned, for sale, HOA)

[coffeelover101]

I live in Tolleson and recently a neighbor moved and our other neighbor started parking their cars and vans in the driveway as well as using the house a couple of days after it was vacant. They moved back their cars into their own driveway when they were cited by the HOA. However, it looks like another family that they seem know have taken over. I have read up on the problem of Squatters and I have looked up the property online. It's lender own and is for Sale AS-IS. I don't want to endanger my own family if they are dangerous by reporting it to the authorities but I wish something can be done as well. I wish I didn't move to Tolleson just because it was cheaper than Glendale.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by coffeelover101

I live in Tolleson and recently a neighbor moved and our other neighbor started parking their cars and vans in the driveway as well as using the house a couple of days after it was vacant. They moved back their cars into their own driveway when they were cited by the HOA. However, it looks like another family that they seem know have taken over. I have read up on the problem of Squatters and I have looked up the property online. It's lender own and is for Sale AS-IS. I don't want to endanger my own family if they are dangerous by reporting it to the authorities but I wish something can be done as well. I wish I didn't move to Tolleson just because it was cheaper than Glendale.

If there are squatters in a bank owned property, call the listing agent and report it. Let him/her deal with it. You can call anonymously.

[Steve Pickering]

A parked Car would make it look occupied and keep the vandals away. If someone is living there take a photo.

[jimj]

Kind of makes you wonder what kind of mental process must be going on for someone to think it's ok to just "take over" property they KNOW is not theirs. I think if I saw this going on and I was that afraid of my neighbors an anonymous call to the P.D. reporting a burglary in progress would be in order. I would also surmise that if they're that comfortable using that house what's to say they're not willing to step into yours? Also, and a much bigger worry would be what kind of illegal activity could be going on in that house like meth cooking, drug dealing etc?

I know we have a couple of neighbors that use empty house's driveways and while I don't agree with it at least they're not in the house.
One would hope that the current owner would monitor the property which they obviously don't as the front yards are nothing but dead plants and shoulder high weeds.

[ReadyFreddy]

I don't want to endanger my own family if they are dangerous by reporting it to the authorities

Are you thinking that if the cops show up to investigate they will know it was you who called, and retaliate? I think you have to take that chance. How would they know which neighbor called, or even that it was a neighbor? It could be the listing agent or the HOA itself. I don't think squatters really expect to go by un-reported for long, much less plan revenge on someone for doing what anyone would do-- report an obvious crime right near their own home.

I've often wondered if squatters are a problem in all the vacant, bank-owned homes.