A Louisiana man has taken squatters’ rights to a whole new level after he was caught inside a couple’s home he tried to sell for nearly a quarter of a million dollars months ago.
Joseph Guerin was captured after breaking into a vacant Baton Rouge home earlier this week after the homeowners were alerted to the presence of an unwanted man on their property.
Guerin was arrested for unauthorized entry into the home after he changed the locks on the home and his utilities were listed in his name, according to WBRZ.
He was released on Monday.
This is the third time the serial squatter has been arrested for trespassing after police stopped him in April at the same Baton Rouge home when the owners first discovered people were illegally residing in the home.
Richard and Kristen Craven inherited the ranch house last year after their parents died, and only discovered the unwanted guests during a routine check on the property.
“We were checking it and it was looted. Everything was thrown out,” Craven told the outlet in April.
Guerin was arrested for unauthorized entry into the home after he changed the locks on the home and his utilities were listed in his name.WBRZ
Richard and Kristen Craven inherited the ranch house last year after their parents died, and only discovered the unwanted guests during a routine check on the property.WBRZ
The couple had planned to renovate and resell the four-bedroom white brick house a couple of months after taking over the property, but discovered that the house was in disrepair because of Guerin.
They discovered that the squatters had “moved in” with their own furniture, ripping up the carpet and installing new tile floors and countertops that were not “quality,” and had painted everything white, including a window, to obstruct views of the area. home. .
When they first discovered the visitors, rather than confronting them, the Cravens kept their eyes on the house, noticing different people coming and going during the day and night, and said the house was not just used for sleeping.
“He did drugs, he dealt drugs, I don’t know if he rented rooms to women,” Richard Craven said.
The couple had planned to renovate and resell the four-bedroom white brick house a couple of months after taking over the property, but discovered that the house was in disrepair because of Guerin. WBRZ
The problems escalated until Guerin put the property up for sale online for $225,000.
When they initially reported the problem to authorities, police said it was a civil matter because both the Cravens and the squatters were providing documents showing them as the rightful owners, and Guerin was allegedly showing property tax information to his name.
“The police won’t show me what documentation they have,” Richard Craven said. “I have told them that everything he has has to be falsified.”
When they initially reported the problem, police said it was a civil matter because both the Cravens and the squatters were providing documents showing them as the rightful owners. WBRZ
They discovered that the squatters had “moved in” with their own furniture, ripping out the carpet and installing new tile floors and countertops that were not “quality.”
In their most recent confrontation with Guerin, the Cravens were alerted by a neighbor who told them, “You have company there, that Joey guy is back.”
Although Louisiana law makes squatting illegal, a person must peacefully possess the property for 10 years uninterrupted in good faith and with fair title, or for 30 years without title and good faith.
“I’m not going to let a criminal come into the house and take control,” Craven said. “It’s as simple as that. So it’s more than just getting control. He goes. “He’s going to leave.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn