A homeowner in Philadelphia was forced to pay $1,200 to have a squatter vacate his property because he says the Democratic-run city and even the police department “rewards criminals.”
The idea of “squatters rights” has become a hot topic for investors, with states like Florida looking to pass laws to close loopholes that allow them to take over properties.
Chris Harte bought a house in northwest Philadelphia, renovated it and tried to sell it in late 2023.
At that time, a squatter moved in and city officials told him there was little they could do to remove the unwanted tenant.
“It's just incredible,” Harte told Fox News Digital. “The city is essentially rewarding criminals.”
Chris Harte bought a house in northwest Philadelphia, renovated it and tried to sell it in late 2023
On December 8, Harte's real estate agent received a tip from a neighbor who said they had heard noises coming from there the night before. The neighbor went to take a look, but saw people entering the house and removing a 'for sale' sign.
Harte, who was then caught having to pick up his children from school and his wife from the airport, contacted local police.
When he heard from the police, they said there were people in the building changing the locks.
Furthermore, because the squatters claimed they were renting out the property, they said there was nothing they could do about it.
“I had all my paperwork, purchase and sale agreement, homeowner's insurance, the deed to the house, everything on me. They said it didn't matter,” Harte said of a meeting he had the next day with police, his real estate agent and his locksmith.
Police said the squatters did indeed have rights and that Harte would have to file a landlord-tenant complaint, which would cost him more than $300 and could take a year.
Philadelphia police would only confirm that Harte had been notified of the issue and confirmed that they had made no arrests.
“Squatters rights… it's an oxymoron,” Harte scoffed in an interview Fox news.
“If I walk into a store and steal a bottle of water, they have me on camera and they take me to jail. But someone can break into my house, change the locks and now they have rights.”
On December 8, his real estate agent received a tip from a neighbor who said they had heard noises coming from there the night before. The neighbor went to take a look, but saw people entering the house and removing a 'for sale' sign
At that point, a squatter moved in and city officials told him there was little they could do to remove the unwanted tenant. “It's just incredible,” Harte added. 'The city is in fact rewarding criminals'
Bob Cervone, a local real estate agent representing Harte, says these situations are remarkably common in Philadelphia.
“Police told us they receive three to four similar calls a day. I had certainly heard of this happening from other real estate agents, from landlords. But it was my first experience with it.'
The squatters reportedly contacted Cervone and requested a meeting a few days after Harte confronted police.
They told Harte that they had found another place to go, but that they would only leave if Harte gave them $2,000.
Harte said he couldn't give them $2,000, but succumbed to a compromise of $1,200.
Not only had they squatted, but the people who lived there had destroyed the place.
“The house was super dirty, trash everywhere,” he said. 'Luckily there was no damage.'
Bob Cervone, a local real estate agent representing Harte, says these situations are remarkably common in Philadelphia
Police said the squatters did indeed have rights and that Harte would have to file a landlord-tenant complaint, which would cost him more than $300 and could take a year.
After hiring a cleaner and changing the locks, he sold the house last week.
“I had no peace after that,” he said. “I had to keep driving there like I do every day to make sure no one would break in.”
He was highly critical of politicians who run big cities and enable squatters, including Democrat Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.
“It's absolutely ridiculous,” Harte said of the political climate in Philadelphia. “They're not helping investors like me who want to improve the city, buy these houses and fix them up and, you know, make the city a safer and more beautiful area.”
David Oh, the Republican candidate for mayor against Parker in 2023, accused her of “stripping” landlord protections when she served on the City Council with him. reported Vos.
“We need different politicians,” Harte said. “I think their policies are terrible and they are ruining many cities across America. And Philadelphia is one of them.”
He said there was a “correlation” between Democrats' policies and situations like his, even when Parker ran as a centrist on a law and order ticket.
Parker, 51, who became the city's first Black and female mayor, signed an executive order last week declaring a public safety emergency.
Cherelle Parker, the newly sworn-in 100th mayor of Philadelphia, delivers her inauguration speech at the ceremony on Tuesday
Parker is seen swearing in the new police commissioner for Philadelphia, Kevin Bethel
“I want the world to know that I am fully committed to ending this sense of lawlessness and returning order and a sense of legality to our city,” she said in a speech.
She pledged during the campaign to hire another 300 police officers, including community officers, and to restore “constitutional” stop-and-frisk. She also came up with the idea of going to school year-round to reduce juvenile crime.
Her plans include increasing the number of police officers on the streets, with an emphasis on community policing — a policy she championed while on the city council.
Philadelphia has experienced rampant crime in recent years violent crimes such as robberies and aggravated assaults with weapons rising above pre-pandemic levels.
Parker takes over a city where violent crime is on the decline: homicides are down more than 20 percent year over year, and nonfatal shootings are down 28 percent.
But Philadelphia had a grim reputation in 2020 and 2021 as one of America's most dangerous cities, with more than 500 murders a year — significantly more than New York, which is five times the size.
And thefts in Philadelphia are skyrocketing, with reported car thefts up 72 percent. Retail theft is also soaring, rising 28 percent in the past year.