Shocking moment NYC homeowner is put in handcuffs and shameless SQUATTERS are allowed to stay after tense standoff at her million-dollar home
A New York City woman was arrested after a heated confrontation with a squatter who claimed he had the right to live in her family’s $1 million home.
Adele Andaloro, 47, inherited a property on a quiet street in Flushing, Queens. She planned to sell it, but then noticed someone had replaced the front door and changed the locks.
She was surprised to hear that squatters had moved in last month and refused to leave.
“It’s infuriating. It really is,” Andaloro told ABC7 New York. “It’s not fair that I, as a homeowner, have to go through this.”
In New York State, squatters who openly and adversely occupy a property continuously for ten years can file an adverse possession claim, provided they have paid property taxes during that decade.
In New York City, however, squatters are given rights after just 30 days, meaning landlords must initiate eviction proceedings as soon as a squatter is discovered.
Adele Andaloro, 47, inherited her family’s property in Flushing, Queens and hoped to sell it — but was beaten to death when squatters moved in last month
The strangers had changed the locks and replaced the front door. In New York City, “squatter rights” are granted after just 30 days of occupancy
Andaloro entered the house, flanked by reporters, after an unknown woman opened the door. Inside, she was greeted by two men who were eventually led away by police
“By the time someone does the investigation, it will be over 30 days and that man will have stolen my house,” Andaloro said.
While she and her daughter were talking to reporter Dan Krauth outside, a woman walked by and opened the front door. She left when she saw the cameras, meaning Andaloro was free to enter with the title deed in hand.
“This proves everything I said, these are my furniture, these are my curtains,” she said, pointing.
When she ventured further inside, she found two men, including one sleeping in a bedroom. One of the men claimed to have moved in two days earlier.
Then they called the police on her.
“They called the police and I called the locksmith,” Andaloro said irritably. “We didn’t enter illegally, the door was open.”
Police arrived and began questioning the men. When asked to show documentation proving they had been there for more than 30 days, the men could provide no proof.
The man who claimed to have moved in two days earlier was taken into custody as police escorted the other man as he dragged a suitcase down the street. Andaloro called a locksmith.
Minutes after police left, another man, identified as Brian Rodriguez (pictured), forced his way inside, accompanied by one of the squatters who had already been removed from the property.
Andaloro was arrested for changing the locks, which is illegal under New York City’s illegal eviction law
Before the police left, they warned her against changing the locks. Under city law, it is illegal to turn off utilities, change locks and remove the belongings of someone claiming to be a tenant.
About ten minutes later, Andaloro was surprised again when another man forced his way inside, accompanied by the squatter who had already been removed from the building by the police.
“This man just forced himself into my house,” Andaloro exclaimed.
‘Do you see this? This man just literally kicked in my door, pierced me and my daughter.”
The new man, identified as Brian Rodriguez, drove into the camera crew. ‘Who are these people?’ he asked, insisting it was his house.
This time Andaloro was the one who called the police.
But officers told her she had to go to court because the dispute was considered between landlord and tenant and therefore outside their jurisdiction.
The 47-year-old was taken into custody for changing the locks – a violation of New York City’s illegal eviction law.
Andaloro promised to take Rodriguez to court. The man offered to leave as long as she paid him back for the work he claimed to have done on the house
On Long Island, another man was accused of squatting on a $2 million mansion and preventing the new owners from moving in
Susana and Joseph Landa bought the house and planned to care for their son, who has Down syndrome. The squatter, Brett Flores, claimed to have worked as a ‘janitor’ for the previous owner and has since moved in
Rodriguez admitted he didn’t own the house, but told the newscaster, “You gotta know the damn law works.”
He claimed to have signed a lease in October, but could provide no proof. Police said he had no documentation other than bills for work he claimed to have done on the house.
Rodriguez offered to leave if Andaloro recouped him for those costs. “Pay me the money and I’ll leave, or send me to court, it’s that simple,” he said.
Andaloro vowed to file an eviction petition in the Landlord and Tenant Court, saying she had no other choice. It can take more than a year for deportation cases to be resolved.
In another highly publicized housing dispute, a New York City couple claimed they were unable to move into a $2 million Long Island property after a squatter moved into it.
Susana and Joseph Landa, both 68, bought the home in October 2023, where they planned to spend their retirement while caring for their son Alex, who has Down syndrome.
However, they were stopped by Brett Flores, 32, who said he had lived with the previous owner as a “caretaker” and had since settled rent-free.
The Landas had to pay thousands of dollars worth of utility bills. They also claimed to have found online advertisements offering rooms in the house for $50 per night.
Like Andaloro, they were forced to take Flores to court. However, the 32-year-old filed for bankruptcy in January, meaning that any legal proceedings could not continue.
According to the couple’s attorney, Flores said he would not leave until he paid more than $100,000.