Squatters lose rights, thanks to New York state budget change
Originally published in
Staten Island Advance
on
.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A month after NYPD officers took four individuals into custody at a residence where “squatters had taken over,” law enforcement officials and elected officials gathered at the site to announce steps taken to address the squatter struggle.
After District Attorney Michael E. McMahon hauled bits of trash and debris into a trash can, Borough President Vito Fossella rallied the attendees; among them Assistant Chief Joseph Gulotta, the NYPD borough commander, State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn), Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (R-Mid-Island), and Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island).
Scarcella-Spanton explained that, in short, a clarification was made in the 2024 NY State Budget that excludes the term ‘squatter’ from the definition of tenant. This ultimately allows the district attorney to charge the squatter with burglary.
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