 Borough President Vito Fossella, District Attorney Michael McMahon, and NYPD Borough Commander Assistant Chief Joseph Gullotta, along with a host of elected officials, addressed concerns about squatters during a press conference outside of a home in Westerleigh.
“We all know the expression that the home is our castle,” said Borough President Fossella. “It’s the American dream and those dreams became a nightmare for a lot of people because they realized, unfortunately, that people can just come in and take over their house. And, when the owners try to take back their homes, they realize the squatters had more rights than they did.” Previously, squatters who were able to prove residency and maintenance of a vacant property for 30 days were entitled to the rights associated with being a tenant of the property. However, the 2024 New York State Budget includes a clarification excluding squatters from tenant protections. The hole at the site of the press conference was boarded up after three defendants were indicted on criminal charges for squatting there, said District Attorney McMahon. Assistant Chief Gullotta said Ring Cameras are the best defense to prevent squatters and other home invasions. “If you can afford to put the cameras in your house, then we’re going to be in better shape,” he said. “It provides evidence for us and it provides a deterrent because if someone does go into a vacant lot or a vacant house, we can tell when they arrived and when they left. Cameras play an integral part in what we do." Comments are closed.
|