LANSING – Sen. Joseph Bellino Jr., R-Monroe, recently introduced Senate Bill 909, a crack bill.
“Michigan families going on summer vacation or seniors heading to Florida for the winter don’t have to worry about a squatter claiming a place to stay in their home,” Bellino said in a news release. “Squatting is already illegal in Michigan, but a gray area in the law means homeowners may face an expensive and lengthy legal battle to remove trespassers from their properties. It’s just wrong. This legislation would make the process faster and easier for property owners, so law enforcement can safely address these trespassers and allow the rightful owners back into their homes.”
Squatting, Bellino’s office said in the news release, is a form of trespass when someone enters someone else’s property without the owner’s permission and sets up shop on that property. In Michigan, a first-time squatting offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $5,000 or 180 days in jail. The second offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $10,000 or two years in prison.
Under current state law, police can remove people for trespassing on private property. However, when trespassers begin illegally occupying private property and claiming they have a legal reason to stay there, the process becomes much more difficult, Bellino’s office said.
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“Senate Bill 909 would allow property owners to file a complaint with their county sheriff and request the removal of squatters from their properties. Once the complaint has been filed and verified, the sheriff must immediately order all unlawful occupants to vacate the premises. The sheriff can arrest the squatters for trespassing if they refuse to leave,” Bellino’s office said.
This article originally appeared in The Monroe News: Senator Bellino’s bill would help remove squatters from homes
