North Carolina Squatter Tennant During COVID

[Jeremy Drawas]

Hi BiggerPockets!

Here is my situation: I have a tenant who passed away. In his stead, he left his heroine-addicted girlfriend, who has never paid a day's rent. My tenant's family even called me after he passed away to tell me that she was no good and I should not have her in my house. When I tried to evict her the first time, the court ruled that she had common law marriage, as they had been living together for long enough and that she'd have 1 month to get her stuff and move out.

I went to court 1 month later and now there is a new law in NC preventing evictions. The govt. has set up the HOPE program that tenants can apply for and the govt will pay their landlords their rent directly. She is not applying for that. So now I have no rent and no way to evict.

I have a private loan, so I can't stop payments on my loan either...

Do I just have to provide housing to this woman for free forever? What is my recourse??

Thank you!!