“Optics” of a homeowner who was handcuffed after a trespasser changed the locks queen’s house The $1 million price tag prompted New York lawmakers to enact a tough new law to protect property owners, a real estate attorney told Fox News Digital.
A portion of New York’s 2024 state budget agreement signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday specifically excludes illegal residents from tenant protections under state law.
The language defines a trespasser as a person occupying a property without its owner’s permission or representative of the owner. The wording, the lawmakers said, would make it easier for police to intervene in illegal possession cases, preventing homeowners from spending months or even years in housing court.
Real estate attorney Michael Romer told Fox News Digital that Brian Rodriguez’s case pushed lawmakers “over the finish line” to pass anti-encroachment laws. Rodriguez allegedly took over a house in Queens and rented it out and called police to detain owner Adele Andaloro after she tried to change the locks.
Adele Andaloro’s home in Flushing, Queens was allegedly taken over by Brian Rodriguez and a group of sub-tenants. After changing the locks, police handcuffed Andaloro and escorted him out of the home, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office. (Google Map)
“I think that’s what brought it to the finish line, the investigation surrounding this case and the media surrounding this case. A homeowner being handcuffed and taken out of his own home. That picture is what made Albany earlier today Motivated to act,” Romer said.
“If a person was effectively occupying or living in a property which was not his and so for at least 30 days, then as per the former laws, the occupier would be effectively treated as a tenant And he has to be evicted from the court system,” Romer explained. “The change that this Bill effectively makes is that it changes the definition of what an occupier is and no longer provides them with the rights of a tenant.
“This is a game changer.”
Rodriguez, 35, pleaded not guilty last week to second-degree burglary, fourth-degree grand theft, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, second-degree criminal trespassing and fourth-degree criminal mischief, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office. Requested to be.
Dyker Heights home before burning to the ground in November. Squatter Cheng Chen, arrested for arson and criminal mischief, told police that a candle started the inferno. (Google Map)
On Feb. 29, Rodriguez forced his way back into Andaloro’s home when she changed the locks and tried to keep the door closed, the office said. When he claimed he was a legal tenant, the police had no choice but to remove Andaloro from the property.
The subsequent press coverage prompted the district attorney’s office to make a case against the 35-year-old squatter, Romer said. Following his arrest, at least four lawmakers introduced legislation to protect homeowners from squatters, ABC 7 reports.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital that Andaloro was removed from the property, but he has not been criminally charged.
Rodriguez’s arrest followed a series of high-profile squatting incidents covered by Fox News Digital.
Queens occupiers leave $1 million home after standoff with homeowner, met with ‘vigilance’: report
Occupants set fire to a house in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, on November 29, after a month-long campaign of terror against their neighbors. Politicians cited the incident as another sign that loopholes enabling encroachers need to be closed. (LLN NYC)
After this, a trespasser, Cheng Chen, was arrested allegedly setting fire Earlier this year, a house in Dyer Heights, Brooklyn burned down, causing $900,000 in damage, according to the New York Post.
But neighbors said at a rally earlier this month that even after the 67th Street home became uninhabitable, fellow squatters have taken up residence in its backyard.
The left is all about the rights of encroachers who are endangering homeowners like you
Owner Zafar Iqbal, 53, told the New York Post that he has been left powerless by the occupiers, who “have more rights” than the homeowners. he keeps trying Renovate propertyBut unwanted guests just “keep coming back.”
He said, “I got a call from the fire department that the house was burnt. Someone came there and set my house on fire.” “That’s when I came to know that it’s an encroacher living there. Encroachers have more rights than home owners. I am the owner of the house. How much more can I do? I need help.”
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Roemer told Fox News Digital that he has seen an “increase” in complaints from clients compared to his previous 20 years of practicing real estate law.
State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said, “No one should return home to find their property seized by squatters who now have more rights to their property than they do.
“For too long, my constituents have been grappling with the current reality where individuals illegally occupy their space without recourse. We see worrying scenarios in the news week after week – hard-working homeowners being bullied by those individuals. Face legal consequences for rightfully reclaiming your property from those who shamelessly take it without consent.”
