Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that protects homeowners from squatters—people who occupy people’s homes without permission and refuse to leave—with a new law imposing stiffer penalties for squatting and providing for an expedited eviction process.
Mr. Kemp applied his signature to House Bill 1017, dubbed the “Georgia Squatter Reform Act,” on April 24, before taking to social media to announce the move, which comes amid a surge in national stories about squatters seizing control of vacant homes, refusing to leave, and sometimes terrorizing homeowners.
“It is nothing short of insane that there are some who are entering other people’s homes and claiming them as their own,” Mr. Kemp said in a post on X. “Thanks to our legislative partners, I was proud to sign HB 1017—once again making it clear that illegal squatters are criminals, not residents.”…
