LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, voiced his support for legislation introduced Wednesday to help property owners more easily remove trespassing squatters:
“Law-abiding taxpayers should not have to battle through unnecessary red tape and legal hurdles to remove squatting criminals from their private property. Squatting is a crime in Michigan; however, our laws also force homeowners to undergo an overly burdensome bureaucratic process before unwanted occupants can be removed from their property by law enforcement.
“Sadly, squatting is becoming a serious problem across our country as the failures of Bidenomics continue to drive up the costs of living and more people find themselves in desperate situations. From residents resorting to squatting in grocery stores to drug-using criminals occupying a southwest Michigan home, we must ensure that our homeowners have access to law enforcement and timely recourse against these offenders. We have already seen local news reports of lengthy squatter battles happening across our state.
“Squatting criminals should not have more legal protections than law-abiding homeowners. The Legislature should ensure the rights of Michigan property owners are protected as this crime grows in popularity and trespassers grow bolder.”
Senate Bill 909, which Nesbitt co-sponsored, would allow property owners to file a complaint with their local county sheriff to order the immediate removal of unlawful squatters. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety for further consideration.
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