TAMPA, Fla.– Senator Ashley Moody is fighting to protect those who protect us by introducing the Servicemember Residence Protection Act. This bill aims to ensure “squatters rights” laws do not apply to the homes of our servicemembers.
“Our men and women in uniform should not have to fight a legal nightmare just to live in their own homes after serving our country. This bill is a simple fix to keep squatters out of the homes of our heroes. I was encouraged to see the House of Representatives pass this bill unanimously, and now I call upon the Senate to act,” said Senator Ashley Moody.
BACKGROUND:
- This bill specifically amends the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act to make sure so-called squatters’ rights laws do not apply to the homes of our men and women in uniform.
- Varying by state, squatters’ rights generally allow trespassers to claim ownership of a property if it is open, unoccupied, and their stay is continuous.
- Florida Representative Brian Mast introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives, which passed by unanimous consent.
- Evicting a squatter requires legal intervention, which is often unfeasible or impossible during deployment, and over the past years, there have been notable examples of this situation occurring in Florida and across the country including:
- An Army Officer from Georgia who had squatters move in while she was on duty.
- Eleven people in Lakeland squatted in the home of a member of the Air Force while he was deployed.
- A member of the US Army Reserve in Texas lost $50,000 dealing with a squatter that took over her home while she was deployed.
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