[dolphran]

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I am on the board of our HOA in Kansas. Recently, we’ve had problems with squatters and trespassers in abandoned homes. We are not a gated community, so it is difficult to control these things. We have tried contacting law enforcement, but they haven’t really been helpful. I feel like we are not a priority to them, so our report has been pushed to the back burner. Have any of you faced similar problems in your neighborhood? What did you do? Thanks in advance.

[kris10xoxo]

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That sucks… Squatters are the worst. I know firsthand what they are capable of and it’s insane how much the police let them get away with. They are practically stealing! And don’t get me started on squatters rights. Why should they even have rights? It’s absolutely ridiculous!

Anyway, my HOA didn’t really do anything about them either. I suppose they had the same troubles as you. But as the owner of one of the “squatted” homes, what I did was essentially evict them. I sought help from the police (after a while, they eventually came through), served a formal eviction notice, and filed a lawsuit. It’s a long process and very expensive to boot. But it’s well worth it in my case as they were destroying the place. I had to pay for renovations out of pocket and that cost me a pretty penny too. I don’t know how an HOA would go about removing squatters, but this is what I did as a homeowner. Hope it helps you.

[chrstphr58]

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Kris is correct that squatters will have to be removed lawfully. You can’t just push them out through brute force. They may even claim assault on you (I know, ironic). I would suggest contacting the homeowners of the houses where they are squatting. It’s really the homeowners who have to take action. The HOA should just provide assistance.

[dolphran]

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Thank you for the advice. I had no idea squatters had to be “evicted” as if they were tenants. I will get in touch with the homeowners immediately. And I’m glad to report that the police have finally answered our pleas after following up for more than 2 weeks now.

[wicked_oz]

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Hey OP. Do you have an update on this? We have a similar problem but we’re a gated community unlike yours.

[dolphran]

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Yes. The homeowners are now in the process of filing lawsuits. Some squatters have left voluntarily but there are still others. I would say even the threat of legal action can scare some of them away.

[chrstphr58]

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If you have a gated community, it should be easier to keep them out. Check your security measures. Maybe you need to update them. Security guards, cameras, access passes – the whole shebang.

[wicked_oz]

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We do have those but we still have trespassers. What could be wrong? We don’t understand how they keep coming in.

[chrstphr58]

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Monitor your cameras if you have them. Perhaps the trespassers aren’t “trespassers” at all. Maybe someone in your HOA (a resident) is letting them in or gave them the passcode or access pass. Happens way too often.

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