Bill to speed up evictions of illegal tenants passes NC House Judiciary Committee

US News

by Centre Square

(The Center Square) Squatters in North Carolina could be evicted within 48 hours of a property owner's complaint under a bill approved by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

House Bill 984 was introduced by Rep. John Bradford, a Republican from Mecklenburg County who owns a property management software company.

The bill must be approved by the Finance and Rules committees before it can be brought to the full House.

Bradford told committee members Wednesday that amendments will likely be made along the way.

“Squatters are people who live on land or in buildings that they have no legal right to occupy,” Bradford said.

“They are not paying rent and are living in the property without any legal documentation showing they own the property or are legitimate tenants.”

North Carolina civil law does not provide for a process for expedited eviction of squatters, lawmakers said.

“This bill would allow homeowners to file complaints with law enforcement to evict unauthorized individuals who ignore eviction requests,” Bradford said.

Bradford said the provision does not apply to tenants who continue to live in a property after their lease expires.

The lawmaker said after receiving the complaint, the law enforcement agencies will verify the complaint and then remove the squatters within 48 hours.

Bradford added that alleged squatters also have the option of filing a civil lawsuit against the property owner if they believe they have been wrongfully evicted.

“The sheriffs' association and police chiefs have ongoing concerns about liability issues,” Bradford said.

To ensure it can be considered during the short legislative session, any changes proposed by law enforcement agencies would be made before the bill goes to the Rules Committee, he said.

“In the spirit of moving things forward, we're voting on this bill as is,” he said.

“However, I think it is important to say that we will continue to work with interested parties.”

Bradford cited one landlord in the area who lost $15,000 in rent to squatters.

“Someone was living there and they couldn't get him out,” the deputy said.

Trying to remove a person through a regular civil lawsuit could take months, Bradford said.

“I think it could be longer because of the amount of work in urban areas,” he said.