Montana State Senator Introduces Bill to Tackle Unlawful Squatting
"We don't want people coming home and finding out that their homes are occupied"
Montana State Senator Becky Beard (R-Elliston) introduced a bill this week to address unlawful squatting.
In Senate Bill 101, unlawful squatting is defined as someone who “commits the offense of unlawful squatting when the person knowingly, without the consent of the owner, rightful occupant, or an authorized representative of the owner enters the premises of another; and resides on the premises for any period of time.”
Beard told The Montana Chronicles that Montana has the potential of squatting happening in the state due to people who are snowbirds going south for the winter.
“We don't want people coming home and finding out that their homes are occupied by people who don't have any right to be there,” she said.
If people are arrested for this crime, they will be charged with a misdemeanor.
Another thing this bill addresses is the issue of fraud.
This bill says a “person who knowingly lists or advertises residential or commercial property for sale or rent without legal title or authority commits the offense of fraudulent sale or lease of property.”
Furthermore, if people are convicted of an “offense of fraudulent sale or lease of property,” they will face 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Beard said the initial proposed penalty was “less harsh,” but she increased the monetary penalty and incarceration time.
“I wanted to make sure that we amped it up to be something that would be taken seriously,” she said.
In addition, this bill allows for law enforcement to receive a fee for removing an unwanted person and civil action against unlawful removal.
Squatting became more talked about in America last year after a TikTok video went viral where a Venezuelan illegal immigrant, Leonel Moreno, discussed how to “invade” properties and invoke squatter rights, according to The New York Post. In September, Moreno was ordered to be deported, and then, one month later, ICE arrested him.
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Zachery Schmidt is the founder of The Montana Chronicles. If you have any tips, please send them to montanachronicles@proton.me.