I’m in a bit of a pickle. A house on the block has been taken over by a family of squatters. They live there openly. What utilities they have on, I don’t know. It’s not quite a clandestine operation, as there are many candles involved. The fireplace chimney collapsed some time ago, so I haven’t seen any smoke and where there’s smoke there should be fire, right?
The owner of the property has turned a blind eye, as the cabin is a tad shabby, shall we say? Apparently, the scuttlebutt is that he inherited the place and hasn’t the means to fix it up. The front porch collapsed during the big storm of 2023 and the back deck is – well, I haven’t seen it or anybody on it since early February of last year.
Is it true that the current occupants can take ownership of the property if they just stay long enough, a certain amount of time? What the heck is going to happen to our otherwise very nice and neat neighborhood if these vagrants end up being homeless homeowners?
Sour Dill in Cedarpines Park
Dear Sour Dill,
Seems to me, we used to call them “settlers,” good folks who arrived in dusty covered wagons to tame the Wild West, to set up homesteads, to toil, seed and harvest. I might imagine that your new neighbors showed up pushing shopping carts and baby strollers, the first signs of trouble.
Well, I Googled “California Squatter’s Rights” for you. For adverse possession to kick in, these morons have got to hang in there cultivating, repairing and improving the place for a minimum of five years. Since they invaded the neighborhood, have you heard a hammer hit a nail, watched a bush bloom or smelled a can of paint?
These same vile freeloaders who move into abandoned or vacant properties must also pay all state, county and municipal taxes during their stay in order to claim the right of adverse possession.
There are some pretty scary laws on the books to protect these vagrants. For instance, the owner cannot change the locks, turn off the power or otherwise attempt to make the property uninhabitable for their unwanted visitors. The owner must go through the process of eviction, even though there was never any type of rental agreement.
A nice family of skunks placed in the buildup might be a deterrent. Who knows?
Sidney
Send your questions for Sidney to Sidney@thealpinemountaineer.com or by snail mail to Dear Sidney, The Alpine Mountaineer, P.O. Box 4572, Crestline, CA 92325.
This advice is intended for entertainment purposes only. No animals were harmed in the writing of this column.
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