Man allegedly moves into elderly woman's home, throws out her stuff

An Ohio man has been charged after he allegedly moved into an 87-year-old woman's home and threw out some of her belongings.

Clashes involving squatters' rights, or adverse possession, have made headlines nationwide. The concept can allow a person to gain ownership of an abandoned or unoccupied property that they are occupying without permission from the property owner.

The homeowner, Lois Carrier, told police she found out about the alleged incident from a friend who was driving by her house, according to WKRC. The woman called 911 in September to report people going in and out of her vacant residence.

"Nobody's supposed to be going in and out of the house," Carrier told the dispatcher.

She also told the dispatcher that she could not go to the house because she was in Florida.

Ladarrius Gaston, 39, was charged with burglary, criminal damaging and possessing criminal tools.

The homeowner's property was allegedly disposed of in a dumpster. Police estimated that over $10,000 in property was lost.

Court records claim Gaston tried to "lay claim to the property."

Squatter laws vary by state. In Ohio, the individual must continuously live on the property for 21 years and pay the property taxes during that time. The person can then file a lawsuit to gain ownership of the property, which the owner can fight against in court.

A survey by the National Rental Home Council (NRHC) found that areas in Georgia, Florida and Texas recorded higher numbers of squatters than other U.S. metropolitan areas.

The council surveyed its members who own single-family rental homes. It found that 1,200 homes in the Atlanta area had been occupied by squatters. The survey also recorded 475 homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and about 125 in Orange County, Florida, which includes Orlando.

Conflicts involving squatters have led to new legislation in several states. In March, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that allows police to immediately arrest squatters and charge trespassers with a felony for any intentional damage and a misdemeanor for falsifying a lease.

In April, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a portion of the New York State budget that makes it easier for police to intervene in squatting cases.

Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill that same month to close a legal loophole and speed up the process of evicting squatters. The bill has not been passed yet.

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