'I felt violated' Apparent squatters caught trying set up in Tracy house

After buying a house just outside Manteca a homeowner showed our Kurt Rivera footage of apparent squatters outside her house with a moving vehicle. She ran them off.

[eggheadegghead]

If you can’t treat squatters as home invaders, then there is something wrong with this country’s justice system………sad

[patmcbride]

It should be legal to use any means necessary to remove squatters.

[xlnuniex]

This is insane. A home owner shouldn’t have to worry about someone moving in. Isn’t that considered breaking and entering?

[meganarpasi]

The fact this is still allowed to happen is insane!!

[sinebar]

She was actually lucky. A lot of times it takes months or even years to get these criminals out. It's insane!

[NoCapJustFaxts]

Let this happen to the chief of police or the Governor; they'd be quick to make an arrest or lobby to change the law.

[pauljackson]

I like what one municipality did in CA. The property owner registers with local law enforcement when their house will be vacant for an extended period. Once registered, any squatter attempting to move into said house is committing a criminal offense, allowing law enforcement to forcibly remove them.

[xlnuniex]

Why not make laws protecting home owners who pay taxes rather than have squatter rights? Anyone know why there’s such a thing as squatter rights? This just seems so insane. Victims (home owners) not even able to have the law on their side if squatters move in. INSANITY

[Raiden]

Charge them for trespassing on your property

[jefferydellinger]

You would think that with all the stories that we have heard similar to this one. Every state would look into their squatter laws and change them to protect hard working, tax paying citizens.

[madelinemardigan]

So why blur their faces? Why protect them this way?

[ronaldmcdonald]

Why can't they be charged for trespassing?

[sophiekatt]

My friends were selling their home and after the closing, the new owners called them and said there was a family of squatters in the home and they wouldn’t leave.

My friend went over there with his .38, kicked in the front door and just started throwing their belongings into the front yard.

Sure enough - one fo the squatters put hands on him, and he shot him in the arm.

Cops came, and fortunately the squatters both had multiple outstanding criminal warrants so they took the squatters to jail and called CPS to come get the children (there were two little ones, poor things), and took the squatter he shot to the hospital (non life-threatening injury). .

The squatters threatened to kill my friend, so cops charged the squatter with that too.

Then the cops told my friend that they wouldn’t arrest him this time - but given the current laws, they could if they wanted to. Cops said they are being INUNDATED with 911 calls about squatters who break into homes, get utilities turned on in their name, and start receiving mail at their “new address” - once they get mail at that address, they have “established residency”, and they cannot be forced out.

Cops told my friend they could not, by law, recommend what he did - but they understand why he did it and they didn’t take my friend to jail, explaining they were going to write it up as a case of “self-defense”.

Believe it or not, the squatters tried to come back - but this time the new homeowners were already moved in so they didn’t pursue the matter.

What @Anai RaSoul said below, is completely true: “The audacity is breathtaking”.

[brendareed]

Bad advice to leave a dog alone on the property. They need food and need to be checked on everyday. security cameras that can be streamed and checked every day are probably best and a security gate to keep vehicles out.

[davieb]

How bout making very strict laws against squatting in other people homes

[lorihamlin]

In my part of the country they’d be met with guns, not dogs or security cameras. This is ridiculous. I don’t understand how this is allowed to happen. Seems like a crime to me..isn’t that trespassing? Once they get in why is it so hard to get them out and make them pay damages with jail time?

[PAS_]

What a beautiful house I am so happy for the owners to have such a beautiful home. I had to protect my parents empty home and I did all of these suggestions including various lamps in various rooms on intermittent timers. Also a talk radio show. It was actually clever. No problems.

[angelvpineda]

Why why do criminals get protected more than law abiding citizens. We should have all rights to protect their property by all means necessary against these disgusting squatting criminals lowlifes.

[carmenvannoord]

If squatters are not paying but have the rights to stay in a home why can't they be evicted for non payment of rent?

[glenchadwick]

Another example of laws that need to be addressed to protect the honest hard working people. Laws should Not protect people who want to cheat the system because they don't want to work. People who choose to be law breakers.