That's the story out of Southern California, where a wave of squatters have been moving into foreclosed homes in and around the LA area (first link at bottom). Of course, the most high profile instance of this came with the recent story that Hollywood actor Randy Quaid (best known for the Vacation movie series) and his wife Evi were busted this fall for squatting in a SoCal guest house (second link at bottom).And here's the thing: Many of these people aren't your garden variety, down-and-out, destitute-type squatters like you might expect. Instead, many are "professional" or "high-end" squatters who are known to drive fancy cars and will actually formally "move in" to these homes through use of a moving truck. From there, they have been known to fully furnish the homes and to do so quite nicely.
For example, the first linked story tells the tale of one Dawud Walli, who casually parked his big Benzo and a moving truck at one upscale LA-area vacant home and moved in to the home last summer. Walli reportedly fully furnished almost the entire home, but then proceeded to turn it into a "party house," with "booze and condoms scattered about inside." He did, however, try to mask some of the goings-ons by covering the windows with duct tape and garbage bags. And law enforcement officials say this same sort of thing has been going on all across SoCal.
You've probably previously heard the term, "squatters rights," which refers to the legal doctrine of adverse possession. Under that rule of law, a squatter (subject to various legal rules and conditions) can actually obtain title to a home or other real property by remaining in continuous possession of the property for a required period of years (which varies in length from state to state).
I recall from the past that one of those legal conditions to obtaining title through adverse possesson is that the possession of the property must be "open and notorious" and "clearly visible." Well, as discussed, that particular requirement (at least) ain't gonna be much of a problem for this new wave of SoCal squatters. Although, they might want to lay off the ol' duct tape and garbage bags.
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