Squatters?!?
Thankfully, it’s not a common problem, but occasionally you might end up with an unwanted guest. No, we’re not talking about your annoying uncle or the old college roommate that wants to crash on your couch permanently. We’re talking about squatters.
So what is a squatter? In our terms, it’s a person who wasn’t invited or allowed to stay in a property. They don’t have a lease; they just moved in and never left. The dictionary says it this way: a person who settles on land or occupies property without title, right, or payment of rent.
Hopefully you never have to learn how to deal with a squatter, but if you do, don’t despair! While squatters do have some legal rights, this is not the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889! People can’t just settle on your property and keep it… at least, not if you do something about it. Getting them out legally involves posting 30 day notices at the correct times, going to eviction court, having the sheriff physically remove them, and even storing their things for 30 days after they move out, but we can do all that instead of you.
We actually just purchased a property in Norman with a squatter who’d been living in the house for almost 2 years (plus her 2 dogs, 3 cats, and who knows what else!) It may not be a fun process, but it’s not impossible to legally get them out. It takes some time and patience, but we’re happy to handle all those headaches for you. When a house has been sitting vacant, it’s a magnet for people who see it as a place to live for free, even though they don’t have permission. As I often remark, nothing good happens to a vacant house. Sell it now, because sitting vacant is only going to lower the price over time, with or without a squatter.
Sometimes we’ve gone out to inspect a property to give an offer to an out-of-town owner, and found inhabitants that were a surprise for everyone. Other times, like this last one, the owner had moved into a nursing home, and the family was aware that a neighbor evicted from a nearby property had moved in, but it was just too much trouble to deal with on top of everything else they had on their hands. That’s OK. As in all of our purchases, our policy is to handle all the details and problems, and make it an easy process for you to sell to us.
So do you have a squatter? Let us deal with your pesky visitor, and you’ll be jumping for joy! Call us at 405-745-0849 or fill out the online form today!