One community tries to evict squatters by shaming landowners

The small town of Webster, Mass., is intending something new. Rather than spending $9,000 per year on enforcing property or home maintenance laws, the city is purchasing signs. The hope is that signs will disgrace owners into doing something with the property or home.

Deserted buildings kept up by Webster

Most U.S. cities have laws saying that real estate have to be maintained by building owners. Webster has these laws too. Since the downturn, large buildings in city have been abandoned though. The buildings are going into disrepair, and squatters are taking up residence in many of the buildings. The city of Webster is spending almost $1,000 a month sending law enforcement officers to these abandoned buildings to kick out squatters and survey conditions.

Programs for buildings

Rather than sending police officers to deserted buildings, the city council of Webster has chosen a brand new enforcement method. The city can be posting 4-by-8-foot signs outside abandoned buildings. The signs may have personal information from the building owner. This includes the name, phone number and address of the person. Hopefully the landowners will be called to come clean up property or home and keep out squatter by passer bys.

Do not ignore squatters' rights

MA is not the only state that squatters' rights are coming back to. Many states are seeing these rights used more and more. Squatters are starting to claim properties since there have been a lot more properties abandoned. Getting squatters' rights easily most likely will not take place in Webster Mass. There has to be 20 years of "adverse possession," or living without permission on the property, before it becomes their property or home. While police across the nation spends millions trying to evict squatters, some question the wisdom of this move. Some squatters may actually take better care of the property or home than a landowner who doesn’t live there. Having squatters might help the neighborhood. Property values would increase. It may be harder to take a home that has been foreclosed on and sell it with squatters in it though.

Articles cited

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/41849729/ns/us_news-weird_news/?gt1=43001

Legal JustAnswer

justanswer.com/law/0hit8-tell-squatters-rights.html

Legal Dictionary

legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Squatters+rights