A shameless pair of accused squatters have demanded to be named “heirs” of the Long Island home they took over by forging the deceased homeowner’s signature on documents.
Denton Gayle, 29, and Margaret Grover, 19, allegedly presented a judge with a fake lease agreement and a forged signature from the previous owner, Edward Iacono Sr., who died in 2016.
Documents presented to Nassau Housing Court Judge Christopher J. Coschignano showed the couple apparently rented the home, 39 Brussels Drive, on June 1 for $1,500 a month, court records show.
The two-year lease that the couple allegedly forged included a provision that they would become the owners. The New York Post reported.
The latest update to the ongoing saga that has been driving neighbors crazy for months is that the couple, who share a dog named Daisy and a young son, want to be named “heirs” to the estate.
A shameless pair of accused squatters have demanded to become ‘heirs’ to the Long Island home they took over by forging the deceased homeowner’s signature in documents
Denton Gayle, 29, and Margaret Grover, 19 (pictured left and right) allegedly presented a judge with a fake lease agreement and a forged signature from the previous owner, Edward Iacono Sr., who died in 2016
Gayle and Grover filed paperwork in Nassau Superior Court on Monday requesting that they be added “as heirs” to the $873,000 home in which they are squatting.
Neighbors who live on the quiet block in New Hyde Park have said the 1,597-square-foot, two-bedroom single-family home has been vacant for more than a decade after its owner died.
They said the house had been in foreclosure since every member of the immediate family who owned it died between 2015 and 2018.
Judge Coschignano ordered Grover and Gayle to vacate the property last month, and an eviction is now pending against the couple.
The couple’s lawyers have said they are not squatting, insisting they signed a valid lease from a man they believed was Iacono.
“We’re not trying to game the system or ask for anything unfair. What they are asking for here will allow us to add our own voice and testimony to the case as the courts try to determine what happened here and what the next steps are,” said attorney William Igbokwe.
The obnoxious couple wreaked havoc on the quiet street until they were thrown out in October and have since been allowed to move back in on the basis of the allegedly fake documents.
Concerned neighbors called 911 because they were concerned about the couple’s child because the house has no heat, electricity, hot water or working bathrooms.
When they returned in January, Gayle allegedly accrued $3,000 in parking tickets on his black 2013 Porsche Cayenne, which according to The mailhas a Pennsylvania license plate.
Neighbors who live on the quiet block in New Hyde Park have said the 1,597-square-foot, two-bedroom single-family home has been vacant for more than a decade after its owner died.
When the squatters returned to the house in January, Gayle allegedly racked up $3,000 in parking tickets on his black 2013 Porsche Cayenne, which has a Pennsylvania license plate, according to The Post.
Neighbors complained that after his return, Gayle tried to intimidate him by pacing the street and giving them the middle finger, and even trying to chase an older man.
“We really believe these people are going to be vengeful,” said one resident, who captured video of Gayle allegedly banging and kicking on their door and making racist comments while telling him to come out.
Gayle and Grover are charged with conduct injurious to a child following their arrest in October.
Gayle also faces charges of resisting arrest and obstructing government charges, records show.