Imagine owning a property and being confronted with a bewildering situation where a tenant’s ex-partner, who hadn’t resided there for three or four months, and whose name isn’t on the lease, breaks a window and starts living in your home.
Is It Trespassing?
Naturally, one would assume that the person is trespassing and that the police would promptly remove them from the property without hesitation.
The Bizarre Legal Obstacles
However, according to a TikToker named Steve, who goes by the username @magicmansteve, this assumption proved to be completely wrong as he recounted the bizarre legal obstacles he encountered.
The Crazy Landlord Case
Steve narrates his astonishing tale: “Here’s a crazy landlord case with a tenant you probably won’t believe.” He rented one of his houses to a couple. They were boyfriend and girlfriend.
He Continued Paying for the Property
The boyfriend was on the lease, as he was renting the house from Steve. The girlfriend, however, was not on the lease. Steve said the couple had a fight, and the boyfriend moved to New York, although he continued paying for the property.
She Breaks in Through a Window
Steve went on to say that the girlfriend no longer lived in the apartment building, and the apartment was left unoccupied. But since he continued paying rent, Steve didn’t mind.
But then, three or four months later, the girlfriend broke in through a window.
He Calls the Police to Get Her Out
As eerie background music enhances the suspense of Steve’s narrative, he describes the woman’s illicit activities within the house after receiving a tip-off from the boyfriend.
“She’s not supposed to be there because it’s [the boyfriend’s] house, and he’s the person on the lease, which he’s right. So we go down there, we call the police to get her out of the house.”
She Says They’re Harassing Her
At this point, Steve finds himself unexpectedly burdened with a situation he never anticipated, stating, “She’s saying we’re harassing her. We’re harassing her? She broke the window to get into the house, so now we have a broken window on the house, and it’s not her place to even be there.”
He Says She Doesn’t Belong There
Steve further highlights the absurdity of the woman’s harassment claim, saying, “She hasn’t lived there for three or four months because she left the boyfriend and they separated or whatever they did.”
And the boyfriend is telling us she doesn’t belong there. He says, “She shouldn’t be there. It’s my place, blah, blah, blah.”
The Landlord Thought He Was Subletting
He emphasizes that whatever his tenant chooses to do with his time away from the apartment is his own business, speculating that he might be subletting the place for the summer.
Regardless of the reason, it should be of no concern to him.
Now They Have to Go to Court
Undeterred, Steve continues his story, “So, what happens? Do the police escort her out of the house? No. We have to go to court. Of course, we have to go to remove a vagrant from the house, a squatter, whatever you want to call them, right? So she gets to stay in the house that she broke into. That’s not [even her house.”
She Files Harassment Charges Against Him
To further compound the madness, Steve reveals that the girlfriend filed harassment charges against him, thrusting him into a courtroom where he had to plead not guilty to harassment charges “for harassing this lady who broke through a window and climbed into our house.”
They Allowed Her to Remain in the Home
With disbelief, he shares that despite the woman breaking into his house, the police allowed her to remain in the home, forcing him to undertake the formal eviction process for someone whose name isn’t on the lease and who hasn’t been a resident of the building for months.
A Perplexing Court Experience
As Steve’s story unfolds, he recounts the perplexing events during his first court appearance with the woman. He describes how the mediator initiates a discussion in a separate room rather than immediately involving a judge.
‘How Much Rent Does She Owe You?’
The mediator asks, “How much rent does she owe you?” to which Steve responds, “She doesn’t owe us anything because she doesn’t belong there.” In a confounding response, the mediator suggests, “Well, you have to work something out.”
The Mediator Says He’s Being Rude
Steve struggles to express the sheer absurdity of the situation, questioning the mediator, “What if she moved into your house? What would you work out?”
In return, the mediator chides him, saying, “Oh, don’t be rude to me, sir. I’m not being rude; I’m just trying to explain to you.”
It Serves as a Cautionary Tale
Steve’s recounting of the landlord nightmare he experienced serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the complexities that can arise when dealing with unexpected and challenging situations involving tenants.
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The post Woman “Illegally Squatting” Won the Favor of the Police and Court, and It’s Now His Sole Responsibility to Evict Her first appeared on Fistful of Dollars.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Roman Samborskyi. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: TikTok