Georgia homeowner reclaims property after police oust squatters who took over while he cared for sick wife
Property owner Paul Callins said he is 'relieved' by the development: Report
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Georgia man whose rental property was seized by suspected squatters while he was away taking care of his sick wife is relieved after local law enforcement responded to calls to evict the suspects on Monday, according to a report.
The DeKalb County property's rightful owner, Paul Callins, spoke with Atlanta's WSB-TV last week after at least three people started living in the vacant home and even changed the locks.
One of the squatters had presented a false lease on her phone and had no physical document to offer, according to Callins.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Georgia resident Paul Callins' property was taken over by suspected squatters while he was away. (Fox News)
"I’m frustrated, but I’m glad I was able to get it resolved," he later told Tom Regan, a reporter for WSB-TV who has stayed on top of the case. Regan even stood on the doorstep in one instance and went inside the home to confront the suspects.
In a segment that aired on the channel this week, he asked the squatters questions, but they refused to answer.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Regan later spoke with one man inside the home who declined to give his name but insisted he and his family were victims of a scheme by a phony leasing agent.
An aerial photograph shows the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. The metro area continues to grapple with the squatting crisis that has gained national attention. State lawmakers are looking to put an end to the situation. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Callins believes the suspected squatters created a fake lease after seeing an ad for the property he had posted online and doesn't believe the claims that those who had taken over the property were scammed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One of the people inside the home was the unidentified squatter's four-year-old daughter, according to the local report. Callins said he hated to see a child brought into the situation but is relieved to have the incident behind him.
According to an earlier report from the outlet, Callins inherited the property from his father who passed away due to cancer three years ago.
SQUATTER CRISIS HITS ATLANTA AS PROPERTY OWNERS SEE HOMES MORPH INTO DRUG AND PROSTITUTION DENS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He spent thousands renovating that property before posting an ad for it online.
Squatters have taken over several Atlanta-area homes, creating costly predicaments for property owners who, under existing law, are left with limited options to resolve the issue.
Georgia lawmakers are now eyeing a solution with proposed HB 1017, the Georgia Squatter Reform Act, which would make squatting a clear criminal offense.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The bill unanimously passed the Georgia House last week and will now head to the state Senate before potentially making its way to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's desk.