New bill puts Georgia squatters on notice: 'Now is the time to leave'
A state representative from Marietta has put people staying in homes they don’t own or rent on notice.
"If you’re squatting in Georgia, now is the time to leave," said Rep. Devan Seabaugh (R-Dist. 34). "We’re going to give you a place in the county jail to stay."
Rep. Seabaugh introduced House Bill 1079 amid rampant cases of squatting across the state.
The bill passed in the State House of Representatives unanimously last week. It now heads to the State Senate.
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As it stands, squatters are treated the same legally as paying tenants who are facing eviction.
Instead of a months-long legal battle, if the bill succeeds, the squatters would have three days to show a lease or anything to prove they are allowed to be where they are.
After those three days, they’d be kicked to the curb and face a misdemeanor trespassing charge.
Seabaugh added that any documents that are forged would lead to a felony charge.
"We’re going to treat them like criminals," Seabaugh said. "Because that’s what they are."
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Homeowner Ronan McCabe lived through that nightmare.
FOX 5 I-Team reporter Dana Fowle told his story from his home in Tucker back in November.
"Emotionally, it’s frustrating, it’s scary," McCabe said. "Probably the number one, it’s extremely stressful."
U.S. Marshals closed in on one of his squatters and arrested him on unrelated charges.
A week later, McCabe sold the house, and it’s now water under the bridge.
But he knows everyone hasn’t been as lucky.
"My heart goes out to the people who are in that situation," McCabe said. "Hopefully this bill will take care of this issue in an expeditious manner."
McCabe credited Fowle’s report for leading to the legislation.
"For bringing this to the attention of, number one of the public, and by virtue of that, to our state legislators," he said.
The bill is now in the hands of the State Senate to vote on. Its next stop is to the Rules Committee before a full vote on the floor, a senate staffer said.