Two bills introduced by state lawmakers to combat “squatting” in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Republican state lawmakers want to be sure no one can claim rights to your property through new legislation.
House Bill 478, sponsored by Representatives Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township) and Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and House Bill 480, sponsored by Representatives Tom Young (R-Washington Township) and Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Township) are nearly identical, and aim to solve the same issue.
Young said he was motivated to draft the legislation after a viral TikTok video that he said showed someone “positing instructions” on how to take someone’s personal property.
“This was a wakeup call and an opportunity for us to do something about it,” Representative Tom Young (R-Washington Township) said. “These are Ohioan’s properties, these are investor’s properties, they are not some 15 seconds of fame for somebody who was obviously in the wrong.”
“We don’t see the problems with squatting in what has kind of become a viral conservative social media talking point,” Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said.
LaRe said while the issue is not largely prevalent in Ohio, it is important to address it now.
“As we find loopholes that have been created inadvertently, it’s important we give them attention,” LaRe said. “It’s more a preemptive measure, especially with all the issues we’ve got at the border and the illegals are hitting our state now.”
Officials in the City of Cleveland said squatters are an issue.
“That said, the majority of cases of squatting in Cleveland occur in vacant and abandoned homes where the owner is not actively attempting to remove the squatters,” a spokesperson wrote.
Right now, LaRe said his concern is, for example, if someone is on vacation or renovating their home, and someone else moves in and claims squatter rights.
“And when you call law enforcement to have them removed, should they present what would be a fake lease, it kind of takes the power away from our law enforcement because it becomes a civil matter at that point,” LaRe said.
Under the new bills, there is an affidavit someone can sign saying it is their home.
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“To have those individuals removed immediately,” LaRe said.
“This whole notion that you go on vacation, you come back and someone’s living in your house, that’s just not something that’s happening in Columbus and Franklin County,” Klein said. “I am unaware of any other situations that are happening that involve someone just showing up with a fake lease.”
Mahoning County Prosecutors, in Youngstown, said they don’t see squatting instances very often but would “tend to agree with the legislations’ premise,” at a first glance. They had not yet read the legislation. They said typically the process to remove a squatter takes less than 30 days, but they would not be opposed to an expedited process.
Klein said he thinks the state’s laws are solid as is and Franklin County, which is the state’s largest, has never run into issues removing squatters, as far as he knows.
“If you’re in someone’s house illegally, which would be squatting, police can come and will arrest you or cite you and get you out of the house,” Klein said. “We are going to hold those people accountable and property rights are sacred I this country.”
Klein said he is concerned about some of the viral social media posts that spread what he called “misinformation,” about the claiming rights to someone else’s property.
HB 478 also creates criminal offenses for squatters who damage someone else’s property. If the violation causes damage of more than $5,000, it is a fourth degree felony, otherwise it is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
HB 480 does have an emergency clause attached, meaning if it did pass the statehouse, it would become effective immediately upon the governor’s signature.
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The City of Cleveland said they are in the process of examining the “nuances” of bills, saying if there are equity impacts that undermine the Ohio Landlord Tenant Law, they would not support it.
At least 28 house republicans support the measure, though a spokesperson for the House Speaker said he has not taken a stance on it yet. A spokesperson for House democrats declined to comment on the legislation at this point.
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