Man Offers $15,000 to Tear Down Home After Squatters Move In

A Michigan man offered to pay $15,000 to tear down a nearby home occupied by squatters.

A squatter is any individual who decides to inhabit a piece of land or a building in which they have no legal right to occupy, according to the American Apartment Owners Association. The squatter lives in the building or on the property they select without paying rent and without lawful documentation stating they own the property.

Laws regarding squatters’ rights are facing new scrutiny after property owners in several states found themselves embroiled in disputes, which sometimes turned violent, over people residing in their properties without their permission. Proponents of squatters’ rights argue these laws prevent landlords from taking advantage of tenants. However, critics have argued the laws leave property owners with little remedy to deal with squatters.

Demarko Smith, a resident of Dowagiac, Michigan, told Fox News Digital in an interview published Monday that he is offering to purchase a home to deal with squatters who have moved into a vacant property in his neighborhood.

Smith’s squatter situation began more than three years ago when his neighbor allowed a man and his friends to move into her backyard. The man, he told the outlet, brought in “beat up” campers and old appliances.

Two years later, Smith’s neighbor died. Her family was unable to take back the property due to squatter laws in the state, allowing the alleged squatters to take it over and making it more difficult to live next door to them, he said.

They allegedly did drugs in the backyard, limiting the time Smith and his family could spend in their backyard due to the smell of drugs. He tried to build a fence around his property, but someone tore it down, he said.

The bank was eventually able to evict the alleged squatters, but they moved to another home in the area that was listed for sale on websites like Zillow for more than $100,000 but had damage to the roof and wiring, he said.

“I’ll offer them $15,000 for it. I just want to tear it down and have the property,” Smith told the news outlet.

Newsweek reached out to Smith via Facebook message and the Dowagiac Police Department via email for comment.

Stories like Smith’s have drawn more attention to squatters’ rights and prompted legislators across the U.S. to introduce new bills aimed at making it easier for homeowners to remove squatters. In April, the Biden administration urged local governments to tackle the issue.

“My understanding is that this is obviously a local issue. We are certainly tracking that issue. The rights of property owners and renters must be protected, and we believe that ultimately, what needs to happen is the local government needs to make sure that they address this and they take action,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing in April.

“What I can say is that ultimately this is a local issue and it is critical that local governments take action to address it.”

Laws regarding squatters vary from state to state. Squatting is a crime in Michigan, but squatters do have some rights, like not being violently removed from a property. A first-time offense carries a penalty of up to 180 days in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.