MONTGOMERY — After the House of Representatives voted to concur with Senate changes, a bill giving property owners and law enforcement tools to deal with squatters is heading to Gov. Kay Ivey's desk for her signature.
House Bill 182 (HB182) increases penalties for individuals who enter a residence that is not theirs. It also increases the penalty for anyone who presents a falsified document claiming to be a lease, deed or other instrument authorizing ownership or occupancy.
The bill increases the penalties for individuals who illegally enter a residence they do not own and creates a new transgression for entering a property and causing $1,000 or more in damage.
The crimes would be classified as a Class C felony, punishable in Alabama by one to 10 years imprisonment.
The legislation also increases the punishment for presenting a falsified document purporting to be a binding lease, deed, or other instrument authorizing ownership or occupancy.
The crime would be a Class A misdemeanor, punishable in Alabama by up to one year in jail and fines of up to $6,000.
State Rep. Craig Lipscomb (R-Gadsden), the bill's sponsor, introduced it to the House earlier this month, and it received bipartisan support.
"Large cities and metropolitan areas across the county have recently experienced an epidemic of squatters who seek to live rent-free in properties they do not own and to which they have no legal rights or access," Lipscomb said. This legislation provides Alabama property owners with a strong measure of protection that helps inoculate them from this epidemic and ensures they do not fall victim to this unfortunate national trend."
The Senate made minor changes to the bill. One clarified that service providers could not be held liable for continuing or discontinuing services if they made a decision based on a writ of ownership. The amendment also added attorney fees and legal coats to the list of damages a person would be allowed if unlawfully removed from a dwelling.
Ivey will have to sign the bill before it can go into law,
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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