SmashMouth

A Detroit woman says when she returned to her home last week after being away for a year, she found a woman living there who neighbors say has been staying in the house for a few months, MyFoxDetroit.com reported.
"She thinks that this is a program in Detroit to take people's homes and fix them up and then she gets to keep them," Heidi Peterson, who bought the home in Detroit's Boston-Edison District for $23,000, said. "I don't know what her capabilities are. We're afraid of her mindset of entitlement."
'I don't know what her capabilities are'
- Heidi Peterson, who says she's living with a squatter
Peterson claims the squatter, who was a tenant of Peterson's and leased the home in 2010, changed the locks, reworked the plumbing, replaced her appliances, put a lien on the house and will not leave. So now they are forced to sleep one room away from each other, Peterson with her 1-year-old daughter.
"I thought if the house is not safe, how can I come here with my child? There's an issue with that. But should I lose my house to a squatter because I don't have rights to my property or should I fight to get it back," said Peterson.
The alleged squatter's name is documented all over the house as Missionary-Tracey Elaine Blair, a write-in candidate for president. She denied that she was squatting and said she has a lease.
"I have a construction lien for the repairs that I put into the house. Someone had (broken) into the house on July the 4th and they stripped the radiators and I made a report," she added.

"In February 2011, we had to vacate because the boiler was damaged," she continued. "I took all my books and my writings, but my (furniture was) still left in (there)."
A squatter doesn't have a legal right to the property, but under the law the homeowner cannot remove a squatter by force. In most cases, the homeowner has to file a civil action in court, prove it's their property and evict the squatter. That is what Peterson is trying to do.
Since Peterson spent all of her money on the house, she said she can't afford to go anywhere else, and until she can legally kick the woman out, they are forced to live under the same roof.
MyFoxDetroit.com reported that Peterson leased the house to tenants in 2010, including this alleged squatter, but had to evict everyone when it was found not fit to live in.
The station also reported the alleged squatter filed papers with the city claiming the property was abandoned.


Read more: Detroit homeowner, squatter forced to live under same roof until court decides | Fox News




Squatter video here

SloMotion

, just saw this watching the news with my son ... it's the most unusual 'squatter' story I've seen yet. Usually it's just a family or couple that have moved into a vacant house, fixed it up or maintained it thinking they'll be able to own it one day and wind up getting evicted by the original property owner.

Normally I'd just recommend to the property owner to pay a couple neighborhood homeboys to evict her, legal or not, but this squatter seems pretty legally savvy.

People are getting desperate around here ...

QBREES9

Is she paying rent to the owner.

A squatter doesn't have a legal right to the property, but under the law the homeowner cannot remove a squatter by force

SloMotion

As far as I know, the squatter is not paying rent and is claiming ownership of the property. Sounds to me like she used to be a tenant, had to move out and moved back in when the property was vacant for a long period of time.

There is a misconception around Detroit that if you move into a vacant property and rehabilitate it, the City will give it to you. Probably stems from a program they've had in the past where you buy a vacant property for something like $1 and you have three years or so to renovate/bring it up to code and then it's yours outright.

I don't think it applies in this case.

Mardigras9

As soon as you say "court system", everything goes.

QBREES9

I want to hear about the out come. I hope they do a follow up story.

SloMotion

I'll keep you posted, I'm gonna' follow this one also ... just saw two more similiar stories on the news last night of people who moved into an abandoned house, made repairs and were led to believe it would become their property but are now being evicted. Somebody fleeced them for a few bucks in those instances.

It's getting pretty desperate around here.

QBREES9

SloMotion, why to go Tigers !!!! Man I hope they win it all. Hows things with out hockey.

SloMotion

Thanks buddy! I hope they get the Cards and can avenge that loss in the 2006 WS to St. Louis.

Life without the NHL isn't that bad, I've learned to cope with it the previous 3x or 4x they've pulled this stunt ... watch a little KHL, watch a little NCAA & minor league hockey ... do a little perch fishing and I got the NFL & the Tigers to keep me busy ... <sigh>.

QBREES9

Out of sight out of mind ! Your Lions need to get their head together.