Squatters Can be Evicted Within 24 Hours by Oregon Property Owners if House Bill is Passed
A bill legislating that squatters do not have tenant rights while illegally occupying privately owned premises will entitle Oregon property owners to evict them after serving 24-hour notices.
If passed, OR HB 3522 will circumvent legal delays associated with rental protection for unauthorized occupants of privately owned property.
Squatters Will No Longer be Able to Manipulate the Legal System
Annessa Hartman, a 40th District House of Representatives member and a co-sponsor of the bill, says the legislation will prevent squatters from manipulating the legal system to delay eviction at the expense of property owners.
Eviction notices must give a time and date by which squatters must vacate the premises. They must also state that squatting is the reason for eviction and clarify that the notice does not grant any right of occupancy.
To ensure that the bill does not infringe on the rights of tenants, Rep. Hartman worked with and was advised by housing groups, the Oregon Law Center, and law enforcement agencies.
Legislation Allows Owners to Reclaim Their Property
Jonathan Clay of Multifamily NW told a public hearing yesterday (Monday) that the bill provides a solution that ensures property owners have the legal right to ‘reclaim possession of their property.’
The proposed legislation specifies that anyone refusing to vacate a property after receiving a 24-hour notice will be subject to eviction.
The bill also categorizes squatting as ‘unlawful occupancy’ allowing law enforcement to remove them from the premises, subject to a court-served eviction order.
The bill also allows property owners to cite the 24-hour notice as grounds for the eviction, providing them with the legal right to have the squatters removed from the premises.
OR HB 3522 is jointly sponsored by Rep. Hartman (D) and Rep. Boomer Wright (R). Written testimony can be submitted until 1 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).