The number of squatters being taken to court is skyrocketing in Georgia as homeowners continue to face issues with illegal tenants residing on their properties.
Georgia has seen a significant uptick over the past several years in squatting court cases. While reporting only three such cases in 2017, the number grew to 50 in 2021 and then 198 in 2023, according to a new report from Pacific Legal Foundation. The real number could be far higher, as the report covered courts in only 25 of the state’s 159 counties.
“These are low-risk crimes of opportunity and very appealing as a result,” Pila Jessie, the owner of Khorr Realty, told Newsweek. “Squatting cases are more prominent because there has been an increase in housing inventory and more short-term rentals across the country. This leaves more inventory for people to squat in.”
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