Chicago Vacant house and Squatters…

SQUATTER ALERT!

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SQUATTER ALERT! 〰️

I recently read an article that gave me flashbacks to 2007.  During the Mortgage Meltdown, foreclosing homes were being abandoned. The owners would leave out of fear of being evicted or out of embarrassment. After a few months of no maintenance and lack of attention, criminals noticed that the home was abandoned and moved right in. They then set up fake rental scams where they collected rent from real tenants, collected a large upfront amount, then disappeared with the money. Leaving the tenant and property owner to sort things out. In many instances, criminals moved in with fake leases for themselves and forced property owners and banking institutions to evict them. From drug houses to underground clubs, neighborhoods were not only struggling with abandoned buildings but now criminals. The process to evict these sorts of “tenants” was long and hard. Neighborhoods suffered and property owners were financially devastated. 

Samantha Chatman did a story about Danielle Cruz a Chicago woman who recently invested in a Chatham neighborhood home, fully renovated the property, then prior to putting it on the market for resale got a huge surprise. She now had a new non-paying tenant, aka “Squatter”. The so-called tenant said she paid $8,000 to someone posing as a landlord. She could now live on the property for the next year with no more payments needed to be made. She even provided Danielle with an official lease.

Unfortunately for Danielle, there was not much the Chicago Police department can do in these situations. They typically refer owners to the Sheriff’s department since it is a civil matter. She now has to deal with months of litigation, costly court proceedings, and a worn-down property. 

You can avoid these situations by acting fast. If your intentions are not to keep the property, then find a buyer quickly. During that time, make sure you set up an alarm on the property directly connected to the police department. Set timers on all lights so that they turn on or off regularly. You can find some affordable wifi-connected light bulbs and set them on timers remotely.  In addition, visit the property regularly and make yourself seen when doing maintenance to the home. Criminals tend to stay away from houses where there’s too much activity. 

If you have a vacant home you’ve inherited or decided to vacate and would like to sell, consider us. We will give you a fair offer and can close quickly, avoiding the risk of getting hit by a squatter. If it’s too late and you already have this sort of problem, call us. We buy properties in all types of situations.