Tennant Mistake Cause Squatter Nightmare

[Coty Dolan]

This is a real-life situation a client of mine is currently going through in Pacific Grove, CA.

He had a prior property management company, that was very out of touch, to say the least. Being unhappy with their performance as a PM company, he brought his business to a PM company much larger reach and much better technology.

Since the new PMs inherited many old tenants, that were clearly not screened correctly, they have had an ongoing problem with many of them. Even though many of the properties are in a very nice area.

Now to the story,

This week, A tenant of an SFR, currently 8 months into a year lease, notified the PMs that she had responded to a craigslist add to house a displaced transient during the COVID-19 Shelter in place.

Yes, you read the last part correctly, the tenant in direct violation invited in a transient stranger into her rented unit to stay with her. 

Well, as you can guess the situation went very south, the stranger turner out to be a "professional squatter", we know this because he spoke to the neighbors and bragged about the fact he just bounces from person to person taking advantage of the weak and nieve to gain squatter rights by them inviting him into their rented units. 

The tenant attempted to give notice leaving to San Francisco about 2 hours north, and leaving the house in possession of the squatter, even though she called the police there is nothing they can do because of the squatter rights. The tenant now remains liable for all damages and is who will be named in the eviction. 

Because of the asinine renter and squatter rights in California, it is illegal to bar the squatter from entering the property or to turn off utilities. The only way to get the squatter out is to evict the tenant, who is no longer there. 

However because of COVID-19, right now on CA, there are no eviction until 90 days after the Shelter in place Order is lifted. 

The Owner can still collect rent from the tenant, that no longer lives there, however additionally because of COVID-19 there is no way to collect rent right now. 

What a nightmare of a situation, huh?