'Absolutely absurd': Internet fumes as NY couple is sued by squatters who took over their $530K property

QUEENS, NEW YORK: Amid the escalating squatters-related trouble, a New York couple apparently got hit with a lawsuit for kicking out illegal occupants from their home. 

This comes as a video emerged on X (formerly Twitter), showing a Venezuelan migrant encouraging his followers to squat in empty houses in the US. 

New York couple sued by squatters living illegally in their home

According to the Daily Mail, Denis Kurlyand and Juliya Fulman are facing a frustrating situation due to New York City's housing laws, which have led people to unlawfully occupy homes, forcing homeowners to go through legal battles to remove them.

On March 5, a real-estate broker, Ejona Bardhi, hired by the couple visited their Jamaica, Queens property, which they purchased for $530,000 a few years ago, to check it before letting tenants move in. To her surprise, she found that the locks had been changed. 

Inside the house, they apparently discovered Lance Hunt Jr and Rondie L Francis, who had set up living arrangements, including mattresses, a TV, and even a massage table. The men claimed they had leased the property legally months earlier, leading Bardhi to call the police. 

While the encroachers left without incident as they were unable to provide proof of their occupancy to the authorities, the homeowners were notified that they would be arrested if they changed the locks themselves, as per the Daily Mail

Currently, Kurlyand and Fulman are caught in a legal battle with them, as the alleged squatters have hired a lawyer to sue the homeowners. 

Fulman, who has already spent over $4,000 on legal fees fighting the lawsuit, expressed her frustration to the New York Post, saying, "It’s absolutely absurd. These people literally broke into my house. It’s not fair to us as homeowners that we are not protected by the city."

In New York City's five boroughs, squatters only need to occupy a property for 30 days to gain legal protections, making it challenging for the owner to evict them.

Kurlyand called the squatters "opportunists" in a conversation with the New York Post, and added, "You can’t really even blame them in a way because it’s handed to them on a silver platter. Something needs to be done because the issue is getting worse."

He further stated, "People are taking advantage of these laws, manipulating the laws, and our hands are tied. What did we do? Nothing. We put up a property for rent, and that’s it, now we’re dealing with a nightmare."

Internet reacts to NYC couple being sued by squatters

One wrote, "Absolutely absurd that any law would protect a squatter. If this area has these laws in place, vote better!!!!" 

Another said, "🚨 This is an issue that really needs to make its way to the Supreme Court. The very concept of squatting seems to be squarely against constitutional property rights."

A person remarked, "'Squatters rights' is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of… squatting is theft, these people should have ZERO rights. The second the lawful homeowner says they want them out, that’s it.. get out!"

Someone else stated, "They can sue you for anything, even being unfairly removed while they break the law."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.