Eviction

[Raquel Rieckehoff]

I bought a house and is occupied. The people who are living there will not open the door. Should I follow an eviction process or they are considered squatters and get the police involved? The property is in PA. 

[JD Martin]

If there's no lease, I would call the police. Let the police sort out whether they can produce a document or other proof that they are legally supposed to be there. If you had no idea there was someone in there when you bought the house (did you do an inspection? Any seller disclosure?), I would report it to the police that someone has broken into your house and has the door locked and refuses to open it, and you are worried about violence if you go in on your own. 

Evictions are only to create a legal classification for someone who heretofore had a legal right to occupy the property, unless there's some local law that allows someone squatting on the property legal rights to the property.