Police recently detained six alleged squatters at a home in South Fulton, Georgia, in regard to a stolen vehicle case.
The detentions happened at the house on Caveat Court where the group reportedly moved into the vacant house on December 25, Fox 5 reported Saturday.
“According to HOA President Mel Keyton, the individuals broke into another neighbor’s home and stole a car before returning to the home they were occupying,” the outlet said.
Video footage shows a group of people sitting with their hands behind their backs on a curb, according to Atlanta News First.
Keyton told the outlet, “We don’t know who these people are and what they are doing,” and the alleged squatters have put neighbors on edge.
However, a reform that recently passed in the Georgia legislature is supposed to help property owners grappling with the squatting issue, 11 Alive reported on March 30.
“The Squatters Reform Act aims to give property owners more rights to evict those who have illegally taken possession of a home. For years, many have said squatters have had more rights than those who actually own the property,” the outlet said.
According to the Fox article, Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed the act into law.
Breitbart News reported on March 29 that a property owner in Atlanta was fighting back against squatters who took over his land.
Ten years ago, David Morris allowed several people to live on the property for a while at no charge if they helped with its upkeep.
“Morris used to run a nonprofit on the property that assisted needy people with food. However, he shut down operations during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, as people suffering from addiction and mental health problems moved onto the land and trashed it,” the outlet said.
Per the Fox report, South Fulton Police are grateful to neighbors who keep an eye on each other for safety, and community members are hopeful the reform act will give them the help they need to combat the problem.
