FL landlord raises alarm on ‘absurd’ property rights after squatters invade her rental property

Patti Peeples, a Florida landlord who had lesbian squatters invade her rental property and cause more than $38,000 in damages, is speaking out on the “absurd” property rights in the state that appear to protect squatters more than homeowners.

(Video Credit: Fox News)

Two women broke into Peeples’ property in Jacksonville, Florida, and made themselves at home, trashing the place in the process. She shot a video inside the property showing the extent of the damage with holes in the walls and doors ripped off their hinges. The squatters also threw feces and a brick at the landlord. They reportedly had 15 pit bulls.

The landlord confronted the two women who threatened her with violence. She told them she owned the property and was informed, “It doesn’t f***ing matter.”

The squatters allegedly drilled out the deadbolt on the front door and then replaced it with one of their own.

“That right there was when I lost control of my property,” Peeples said Monday on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

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“These squatters know the laws better than most attorneys do, and they use them to their advantage. And the police are absolutely hamstrung. They know that this is a civil matter. The police have absolutely no right to remove these squatters and treat them as criminals, as individuals that have broken in or trespassed, and they simply throw up their hands and say, ‘You need to go through this civil court system and evict them,’” Peeples explained.

She went on to state that the court process can take anywhere from 30 days to 6 months and in some cities, it can take 18 months or more. It can also cost the owner thousands of dollars to go to court to potentially get their property back.

“This is a nationwide problem,” she told host Pete Hegseth.

The problem has been going on for decades across the nation and is only getting worse.

(Video Credit: Fox News)

Hegseth appeared shocked that this could happen to the legal owner of a property. He asked Peeples if she could call an uncle or a buddy and physically remove the squatters from the home. “Would you be the bad guy?” he asked her, not understanding that would get her arrested.

“We would be in jail,” Peeples informed him. “In fact, I couldn’t even turn off the electricity and the water. We are prevented from doing that. So not only did they steal a home to live in for a period of time, but they lived in relative comfort with a washer-dryer, which they stole, a fully stocked kitchen with all of the appliances and heat, air conditioning, and water.”

The property owner is asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to “focus on property rights” and help landlords be able to evict squatters.

“I invite him, instead of focusing on Disney, I welcome him to focus on this critical issue that’s affecting almost every community in the state of Florida,” Peeples commented. “Property rights in this state are absurd.”

 

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