There is an interesting phenomenon developing in California where the foreclosure of mansions is leading to an outbreak of squatters who boldly move in and refuse to vacate. Neighbors say that Dawud Walli is one such man.
Witnesses say that Walli alternates between driving a Mercedes or a luxury SUV and lived openly in a foreclosed mansion.
They say that he threw large noisy parties and never tried to hide his occupancy. Police say that Walli told them that he has a lease but the foreclosed owner Thomas Felix says that this is not true.
What is curious about the article below is that the police did not arrest Walli and reportedly told neighbors that most of these people get away with this form of trespass.
In Walli’s case, the police say that they would not charge him because he moved out. Why? Obviously, by not arresting such people, police are facilitating such criminal conduct. This has been a problem in Europe but the United States has generally more strict laws on squatting.
One problem is that in California this is generally treated as a misdemeanor. However, it is also possible to charge fraud and other crimes since habitual squatters often produce falsified leases. It is bizarre to me to read police simply dismissing such crimes if squatters finally move out. What is clear is that not bringing charges fuels this expanding criminal conduct.
Source: NBC
Jonathan Turley
Aren’t we all kinda squatting on the entire north American continent?
I don’t understand what the big deal is about squatting . Ima single full-time father . And it freakin sucks to not have a steady place to live at, for my beautiful lil 3yr old daughter . Its hard to stay with people bcuz of my three yr old , and I don’t blame them . But u know what I love my baby with all of my heart and ima get her, her own place! And u know what ,…may GOD bless whoever gets in my way to try and prevent me from making that happen . Such as rude ass neighbors, law enforcement etc. I can understand if I were to abuse the property or deface the property value in any way . I simply just need to get my own spot for my baby . And GOD willing , I get .
Maybe Dawud Walli is squatting in a home in California because we blew up his home in Fallujah while we were liberating him. And maybe he’s just searching for the weapons of mass destruction. Seems perfectly fair to me.
Request for Congressional Foreclosure Panel to Examine Foreclosure Lawyers
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/request_for_congressional_foreclosure_panel_to_examine_foreclosure_lawyers#
Lawyers are officers of the court knowledge of applicable laws and civil procedure is not required from mortgage lenders, nor loan servicers. In states that require judicial foreclosures, FORECLOSURE LAWYERS are the ones who file lawsuits to seize and sell property; and lawyers are responsible for filing and recording foreclosure property deeds.
An investigation could prove helpful to sorting out whether improper and illegal foreclosure proceedings are linked to any self-dealing conduct disadvantaging lenders, investors, homeowners, and city governments.
Inadequate or questionable foreclosure can lead to useless property deeds that impede real estate sales. Increasing numbers of title insurance companies are refusing to cover foreclosed properties; and certain mortgage default claims, are being denied because of defective foreclosure proceedings. . .”
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/request_for_congressional_foreclosure_panel_to_examine_foreclosure_lawyers#
I wonder if they are saving the property in a sense….
sounds like some of the cops may be facing foreclosures.
on the good side
the squatters aren’t sleeping on the sidewalks, that would be unlawful.
Imagine your surprise when these squatters move in while you are on vacation. Does that also deserve police protection? I agree that even though it is “work” to arrest and book these squatters, we depend on the police to keep some social order in our communities so that we can feel that our homes are our castles and we shouldn’t have to have a mote to keep others from moving in.
There probably is damage though in many cases. I would imagine that depending on the region many of those homes have basic services shut off and things like monthly trash pick-up fees go unpaid because no trash ‘should’ be generated. It could get ugly.
Up the revolution……………its another symbol of western decline at it best……….and as has been stated no damage no harm done……but then its California eh, go figure as if it were here you’d be busted big time.
I guess it is better than squatting in public! I am not sure that arresting these squatters will act as a deterrent to homeless people looking for a place to stay. If there is no damage or no theft of anything in the house, kick them out and move on to more important crimes.
Cops not taking any action? Man, even the cops hate bankers, and the institution that owns a home damaged by squatters probably gets a tax break because of it.
What is wrong with this? If they dont destroy the property no harm done.
If they can find a federal crime, they could try filing victims rights claims in federal court
They can’t sleep or sit on the streets so they find an empty house … out of sight, out of mind as far as the cops are concerned
Squatting eh? The seeds of a peasant revolution.
Now we need to gather to take back the rest of the ill gotten wealth.