Christian OsgoodCEO, Multifamily Strategy · CEO at Multifamily Strategy

Professional squatter or golden opportunist?!

7 May 2024 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:47

In this YouTube monologue, Christian Osgood recounts a real‑world encounter with a squatter who has taken up residence in a converted hotel unit he owns in Washington State. Osgood explains that the occupant gained entry using a key from the previous owner and claims the space as his home, appearing only intermittently. He describes the owner’s attempts to evict the squatter—contacting him, replacing the locks, and planning to remove the occupant’s belongings—only to discover that law enforcement treats the situation as a civil matter because the squatter possesses personal items and asserts residency. Consequently, the police cannot intervene, leaving the property owner to handle lock changes and the physical removal of the squatter’s possessions on his own. Osgood’s narrative highlights the practical and legal challenges of squatter removal in Washington, emphasizing the limited role of police and the need for owners to take direct action.

Chapters

We just busted into a squatter unit. This is exactly what I'm talking about. People don't just squat, they move in. This is a hotel being converted. This is someone who, uh, got a key from the prior owner and just lets himself in. Whenever we've tried to evict him or get rid of him, he goes, oh no, no, I'm allowed to be here, this is my home. Instead of going through the whole eviction process though, he only shows up about once every 2 weeks and just crashes as long as he wants. So, uh, no one is here. We have attempted to contact him. We have all of this stuff, it's all going to get junked. We've already replaced the locks. A squatter removal in Washington State is almost impossible. As far as the police are concerned, he has stuff inside the unit and he says he lives here, so it's a civil issue. Nothing they can do. What do you do? You change the locks, you haul his shit. No one's here. I own the building. This guy doesn't have a lease. I don't know who the heck he is. He's out.