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Hear from a man helping homeowners remove squatters from properties

Squatting or living in a home or property without permission from the owner is generally considered to be illegal in the U.S., organizations say.

Squatting may be illegal in the U.S., but certain squatters have rights when they've been in a property long enough. So what is the solution? (Scripps News)

By: James Packard

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Squatting may be generally considered illegal in the U.S., but many squatters have rights when they've been in a property long enough.

In one case in Florida a home owner found that they weren't allowed to kick out someone in their home they considered to be a squatter, or even change the locks.

Legal experts say homeowners or landlords will have to go to court and through the eviction process to follow the law.

Some squatters might even be able to claim ownership over a property if they've lived in it long enough or have been caring for it or paying for it in certain ways.

Scripps News' James Packard sat down with Flash Shelton to discuss how he's helping homeowners get rid of squatters without going through a lengthy and sometimes expensive eviction process.