By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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A Florida bill aiming to help property owners to get rid of squatters is one step closer to becoming law after the state Senate approved it on Wednesday, together with a series of other top-priority proposals.
The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 322, would allow Floridians to get the local sheriff's office involved in the removal of unauthorized people occupying a commercial property, such as an apartment complex or office building, instead of recurring to judicial means.
Why It Matters
Squatters are people living in a property that they have no legal right to occupy.
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Last year, a series of high-profile incidents around the country involving homeowners struggling to take back control of their properties occupied by squatters brought many lawmakers to action to address the relatively rare issue.
In Florida, the legislature passed a law last year allowing homeowners to ask the local sheriff's office for help in the removal of a squatter when they were found to have entered the property unlawfully and refused to leave after being asked to by the owner.
The law, which could not be used against a current or former tenant in a legal dispute, also enacted harsh penalties for squatters ranging from a first-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree felony.
However, the law did not cover squatters occupying commercial properties—an omission that lawmakers in Tallahassee are now trying to fix.
Newsweek contacted Sen. Rodriguez's office for comment by email on Thursday morning.
What To Know
Senate Bill 322 was filed by Republican Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez in January and passed the Florida Senate with a unanimous 39 to 0 vote.
The bill would allow property owners to get rid of squatters more quickly by simply submitting a complaint form to their local sheriff's office, instead of going through a lengthy judicial process. Property owners would have to pay the sheriff's office a civil eviction fee and the hourly rate of the deputy who would have to stand by as the squatter is removed.
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A companion bill in the Florida House, House Bill 213, which is sponsored by Republican Rep. Peggy Gossett-Siedman, is also moving forward through the state legislation after being approved by a Legislative committee last week with a 15 to 2 vote.
What People Are Saying
Republican Sen. Jonathan Martin said during a Senate committee meeting last week, as reported by Click Orlando: "Are you telling me right now law enforcement can't remove somebody off of commercial property if the property owner asked law enforcement to remove them from the property?"
Sen. Rodriguez responded: "That is correct. We took it upon ourselves last Legislative session to correct this for residential properties, and now, we're going to do the same for commercial."
What's Next
The bill is now moving on to the Florida House of Representatives for consideration. If approved, the bill would need to be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, and is expected to come into effect on July 1.
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