By EFE
Mar 28, 2024, 01:49 AM EDT
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, signed a bill against the illegal occupation of homes in the state, which also allows the owner, among other powers, to demand from the authorities the immediate expulsion of a tenant who is found to be illegal. irregular shape on your property.
“We are ending the squatter scam in Florida. While other states side with squatters, we protect homeowners and punish criminals who seek to game the system,” DeSantis said in a statement.
The law was approved in the Senate
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody thanked DeSantis for signing HB 621 into law, previously passed by the Senate.
The law will go into effect on June 1, 2024, and established a cause-and-effect relationship between this measure and the fact that Joe Biden “has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to cross the border.”
Moody referred to an alleged video showing a “plan (by undocumented immigrants) to take over homes,” so with this law, he said, “we ensure that Floridians are protected from this egregious and brazen plan.” ”.
The owner can request immediate expulsion
According to the initiative HB 621, it states that the owner of a home can request the “immediate” removal of a person if he “unlawfully entered” his property and remains there.
It also protects the owner of the property, if he has ordered him to leave it and he does not do so. Or if the individual is not a current or previous tenant who is in a legal dispute.
Strong sanctions
The law also imposes severe penalties on those who participate in the occupation of a home or promote it, EFE reported.
The enacted law authorizes affected property owners to request “the assistance of the sheriff of the place where the property is located for the immediate removal of unauthorized occupants,” the law says.
The organization Florida Rising, which advocates for historically marginalized communities, had previously expressed concern about this measure because, in its opinion, “it can lead abusive landlords to evict legal tenants.”
Keep reading:
- Ron DeSantis signs bill banning social media for children under 13
- Florida: They denounce that Ron DeSantis seeks to replicate drastic Texas immigration law
- Ron DeSantis deploys hundreds of police against immigrants in Florida