Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has blasted the idea of “squatter’s rights,” questioning the laws that allow interlopers on a property to claim ownership over its rightful owner, calling it a case of “just
BREAKING the law.” Squatter rights laws allow anyone illegally occupying another person’s property to claim ownership if they are not evicted after a certain amount of time. Also known as adverse possession laws, these laws are in effect in all 50 U.S. states but enforcement differs significantly. In an April 6 interview with The
New York Post, Mr. Fetterman said he had extensive experience with these laws while he was mayor of Braddock in
Pennsylvania. In some cases, they can come into effect after only 30 days of illegally occupying a building. “It’s wild that if you go away on a long trip, for 30 days, and someone breaks into your home and suddenly, they have rights,” he said. Squatter’s rights as they exist today can be traced back to the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed settlers to claim land in the western
United States under the agreement they would improve it and live on it for at least five years. Over time, the concept of squatter’s rights have expanded well beyond land claims. According to Mr. Fetterman, “Squatters have no rights,” and during his time as Mayor, he always tried to “push back against that.” Mr. Fetterman says he has no issue giving second chances to offenders who have made a mistake. But 20 chances is pushing it too far. “If you have those kinds of established records, it doesn’t serve any greater goal to allow people that are offending, offending, offending and allow them to not be held accountable,” he said. “If this individual is convicted, then he should spend the rest of his life in
prison and never have an opportunity to get out,” he added.