We have a "situation" going on with a house in our subdivision.

[RockmartDawg]

During the housing frenzy some out-of-state property management companies bought 3-4 houses in our subdivision and turned them into rental houses. This hasn't been an issue until the past year, with one house in particular, which just happens to be the first house as you enter the subdivision, and which is clearly visible from the main road from which you enter our subdivision.

For some period of time the tenant(s) were taking their bags of garbage and just sitting them on the driveway right in front of their house. They did have some type of kitchen chair also sitting out there over next to it. I'm not kidding. I bet 40-50 bags of garbage piled up out there. We have several different options for garbage pickup in our area, but they (apparently) weren't subscribing to any. 

They also leave their garage doors open and have had 4'x8' sheets of plywood placed across the openings, apparently keeping some dogs inside the garage. A few months ago someone called the county because these two dogs... both of them pit bulls... were outside and one of the dogs had blood all over its face and chest. When the county was called the dogs were let loose (by the owner) and they ran off somewhere. We haven't seen nor heard of them since.

The police came out about the piled up garbage and somebody rented a small U-Haul truck and carried it away. Since that time they have been piling the bags of garbage on their back deck. 

Now with warmer weather they have not cut their grass one single time. Somebody in the neighborhood actually gifted them a lawn mower. It hasn't moved since it was given to them. Their grass got up to pretty much weed-field condition, and their shrub beds are full of 6' tall milk weed, sticker plants, all sorts of wild weeds that have all outgrown the shrubs.

Calls have been going to the property management company and the county. The property management company said they began the eviction process back in December. They're still there, though. You can see the blinds in the windows are all getting torn up, to the point that in one bedroom they have taken down the blinds and they now have a sheet hanging up over the inside of the window.

Somebody in the neighborhood has been putting notes in their mailbox or mailing them letters... something... apparently complaining to them. The other day the woman (who is apparently the legal tenant on the rental agreement) had one of her kids bring a kitchen chair out to the edge of the road, with a note on it telling people to stop leaving notes, saying that in the last 3 years she lost her husband and one of her kids and people should instead be offering to help her. Ironically, the very next morning somebody was driving past the house and they said an adult male was standing at the front of the garage, peeing into the yard. I guess whomever is that adult male wasn't able to help her cut the grass, so she needed somebody in the neighborhood to do it.

Somebody in the neighborhood DID go cut her grass (I would never have done that). But that same day two police cars were out there and the next day a county marshal car was there.

Their Range Rover is still parked in the driveway. I haven't seen in move in weeks, if not months. Random other cars come and go now and again.

One girl in the neighborhood has been in contact with the property management company, complaining multiple times over the past year. I guess the people in the house are now officially squatting, and the property management is having to go through the legal process to get them out.

Yay.

[40 Watt]

During the housing frenzy some out-of-state property management companies bought 3-4 houses in our subdivision and turned them into rental houses. This hasn't been an issue until the past year, with one house in particular, which just happens to be the first house as you enter the subdivision, and which is clearly visible from the main road from which you enter our subdivision.

For some period of time the tenant(s) were taking their bags of garbage and just sitting them on the driveway right in front of their house. They did have some type of kitchen chair also sitting out there over next to it. I'm not kidding. I bet 40-50 bags of garbage piled up out there. We have several different options for garbage pickup in our area, but they (apparently) weren't subscribing to any. 

They also leave their garage doors open and have had 4'x8' sheets of plywood placed across the openings, apparently keeping some dogs inside the garage. A few months ago someone called the county because these two dogs... both of them pit bulls... were outside and one of the dogs had blood all over its face and chest. When the county was called the dogs were let loose (by the owner) and they ran off somewhere. We haven't seen nor heard of them since.

The police came out about the piled up garbage and somebody rented a small U-Haul truck and carried it away. Since that time they have been piling the bags of garbage on their back deck. 

Now with warmer weather they have not cut their grass one single time. Somebody in the neighborhood actually gifted them a lawn mower. It hasn't moved since it was given to them. Their grass got up to pretty much weed-field condition, and their shrub beds are full of 6' tall milk weed, sticker plants, all sorts of wild weeds that have all outgrown the shrubs.

Calls have been going to the property management company and the county. The property management company said they began the eviction process back in December. They're still there, though. You can see the blinds in the windows are all getting torn up, to the point that in one bedroom they have taken down the blinds and they now have a sheet hanging up over the inside of the window.

Somebody in the neighborhood has been putting notes in their mailbox or mailing them letters... something... apparently complaining to them. The other day the woman (who is apparently the legal tenant on the rental agreement) had one of her kids bring a kitchen chair out to the edge of the road, with a note on it telling people to stop leaving notes, saying that in the last 3 years she lost her husband and one of her kids and people should instead be offering to help her. Ironically, the very next morning somebody was driving past the house and they said an adult male was standing at the front of the garage, peeing into the yard. I guess whomever is that adult male wasn't able to help her cut the grass, so she needed somebody in the neighborhood to do it.

Somebody in the neighborhood DID go cut her grass (I would never have done that). But that same day two police cars were out there and the next day a county marshal car was there.

Their Range Rover is still parked in the driveway. I haven't seen in move in weeks, if not months. Random other cars come and go now and again.

One girl in the neighborhood has been in contact with the property management company, complaining multiple times over the past year. I guess the people in the house are now officially squatting, and the property management is having to go through the legal process to get them out.

Yay.

---

It’s Biden’s world and we are all just living in it.

[DawgWood]

squatting has become a huge problem. so much so that the squatters seem to have the upper hand.
there was an issue down this way several months ago. they eventually had the people evicted, but not before they trashed the entire house. the house owner of course had to pay legal and repair fees. incredible. in this case, the house was vacant so the squatters broke in and took it over.

[Lobatt]

Sounds like the house next door to me. I was a rental for decades. Now it’s owned by a Mexican guy. Sometimes they get loud having parties but it’s only a few times per year. Honestly he’s the best person that’s lived in that house. At least he puts forth effort keeping it looking decent.

[RockmartDawg]

squatting has become a huge problem.  so much so that the squatters seem to have the upper hand.
there was an issue down this way several months ago.  they eventually had the people evicted, but not before they trashed the entire house.  the house owner of course had to pay legal and repair fees.  incredible.  in this case, the house was vacant so the squatters broke in and took it over.

I've briefly read about some new legislation passed by the state this past session, supposedly greatly reducing the time that property owners have to wait in getting rid of squatters.

Just went and looked it up. Gov. Kemp signed HB 1017 into law in late-April. This appears to be specific to classic cases of squatting, though, in which people do as you mentioned, breaking and entering into a vacant property with intent to stay in it until they are forcibly removed.

[wayxpython]

During the housing frenzy some out-of-state property management companies bought 3-4 houses in our subdivision and turned them into rental houses. This hasn't been an issue until the past year, with one house in particular, which just happens to be the first house as you enter the subdivision, and which is clearly visible from the main road from which you enter our subdivision.

For some period of time the tenant(s) were taking their bags of garbage and just sitting them on the driveway right in front of their house. They did have some type of kitchen chair also sitting out there over next to it. I'm not kidding. I bet 40-50 bags of garbage piled up out there. We have several different options for garbage pickup in our area, but they (apparently) weren't subscribing to any. 

They also leave their garage doors open and have had 4'x8' sheets of plywood placed across the openings, apparently keeping some dogs inside the garage. A few months ago someone called the county because these two dogs... both of them pit bulls... were outside and one of the dogs had blood all over its face and chest. When the county was called the dogs were let loose (by the owner) and they ran off somewhere. We haven't seen nor heard of them since.

The police came out about the piled up garbage and somebody rented a small U-Haul truck and carried it away. Since that time they have been piling the bags of garbage on their back deck. 

Now with warmer weather they have not cut their grass one single time. Somebody in the neighborhood actually gifted them a lawn mower. It hasn't moved since it was given to them. Their grass got up to pretty much weed-field condition, and their shrub beds are full of 6' tall milk weed, sticker plants, all sorts of wild weeds that have all outgrown the shrubs.

Calls have been going to the property management company and the county. The property management company said they began the eviction process back in December. They're still there, though. You can see the blinds in the windows are all getting torn up, to the point that in one bedroom they have taken down the blinds and they now have a sheet hanging up over the inside of the window.

Somebody in the neighborhood has been putting notes in their mailbox or mailing them letters... something... apparently complaining to them. The other day the woman (who is apparently the legal tenant on the rental agreement) had one of her kids bring a kitchen chair out to the edge of the road, with a note on it telling people to stop leaving notes, saying that in the last 3 years she lost her husband and one of her kids and people should instead be offering to help her. Ironically, the very next morning somebody was driving past the house and they said an adult male was standing at the front of the garage, peeing into the yard. I guess whomever is that adult male wasn't able to help her cut the grass, so she needed somebody in the neighborhood to do it.

Somebody in the neighborhood DID go cut her grass (I would never have done that). But that same day two police cars were out there and the next day a county marshal car was there.

Their Range Rover is still parked in the driveway. I haven't seen in move in weeks, if not months. Random other cars come and go now and again.

One girl in the neighborhood has been in contact with the property management company, complaining multiple times over the past year. I guess the people in the house are now officially squatting, and the property management is having to go through the legal process to get them out.

Yay.

Are these "tenants" African American?

[11B1SG(RET)Dawg]

Have axe handle. Will travel!!! Problem solved. My cousin in nearby Hendersonville, NC recently asked me if I was worried about squatters as he has 2-3 rental houses nearby. I told him that I would never be worried about squatters because I knew too many good ol' boys that would bring their own pick/axe handles to the eviction party late one night!!!!

[McDonoughDawg]

County Code enforcement is not doing their job, period. Complain to your Commissioners, etc...

[JC-DAWG83]

It would be a shame if that house caught on fire.

[McDonoughDawg]

It would be a shame if that house caught on fire.

Pull the AC fuses first...

[RockmartDawg]

County Code enforcement is not doing their job, period.  Complain to your Commissioners, etc...

They've actually been coming out, more so in the past week. I think the police were called out when the two pit bulls were out. A neighbor lady was the one who called because she had concerns about them. I am pretty sure it was a male who was staying there, then, who let them loose when animal control was called. Seems that there are random males spending time there now and again.
The county marshal was there the other day (after two police cars had been there), and this is the first time I am aware of them being there. When I saw their car I didn't even know we have a county marshal, nor what they do. I had to look them up on the county website. It says:

Function

Primarily, the Marshal Bureau enforces local county ordinances and select state laws. The most common ordinances dealt with are:

Quality of life issues (junk vehicles, litter, tall grass)
The regulation and licensing of alcohol establishments in unincorporated Paulding
The regulation of motorized cart registration

Main Operational Objectives

Answer complaints concerning County ordinance violations
Serve citations to ordinance violators who fail to correct violations
Work with other County departments to investigate County ordinance violations and assist them in taking appropriate measures to correct adverse situations

[Milldawg]

During the housing frenzy some out-of-state property management companies bought 3-4 houses in our subdivision and turned them into rental houses. This hasn't been an issue until the past year, with one house in particular, which just happens to be the first house as you enter the subdivision, and which is clearly visible from the main road from which you enter our subdivision.

For some period of time the tenant(s) were taking their bags of garbage and just sitting them on the driveway right in front of their house. They did have some type of kitchen chair also sitting out there over next to it. I'm not kidding. I bet 40-50 bags of garbage piled up out there. We have several different options for garbage pickup in our area, but they (apparently) weren't subscribing to any. 

They also leave their garage doors open and have had 4'x8' sheets of plywood placed across the openings, apparently keeping some dogs inside the garage. A few months ago someone called the county because these two dogs... both of them pit bulls... were outside and one of the dogs had blood all over its face and chest. When the county was called the dogs were let loose (by the owner) and they ran off somewhere. We haven't seen nor heard of them since.

The police came out about the piled up garbage and somebody rented a small U-Haul truck and carried it away. Since that time they have been piling the bags of garbage on their back deck. 

Now with warmer weather they have not cut their grass one single time. Somebody in the neighborhood actually gifted them a lawn mower. It hasn't moved since it was given to them. Their grass got up to pretty much weed-field condition, and their shrub beds are full of 6' tall milk weed, sticker plants, all sorts of wild weeds that have all outgrown the shrubs.

Calls have been going to the property management company and the county. The property management company said they began the eviction process back in December. They're still there, though. You can see the blinds in the windows are all getting torn up, to the point that in one bedroom they have taken down the blinds and they now have a sheet hanging up over the inside of the window.

Somebody in the neighborhood has been putting notes in their mailbox or mailing them letters... something... apparently complaining to them. The other day the woman (who is apparently the legal tenant on the rental agreement) had one of her kids bring a kitchen chair out to the edge of the road, with a note on it telling people to stop leaving notes, saying that in the last 3 years she lost her husband and one of her kids and people should instead be offering to help her. Ironically, the very next morning somebody was driving past the house and they said an adult male was standing at the front of the garage, peeing into the yard. I guess whomever is that adult male wasn't able to help her cut the grass, so she needed somebody in the neighborhood to do it.

Somebody in the neighborhood DID go cut her grass (I would never have done that). But that same day two police cars were out there and the next day a county marshal car was there.

Their Range Rover is still parked in the driveway. I haven't seen in move in weeks, if not months. Random other cars come and go now and again.

One girl in the neighborhood has been in contact with the property management company, complaining multiple times over the past year. I guess the people in the house are now officially squatting, and the property management is having to go through the legal process to get them out.

Yay.

damn, that's terrible.....full transparency, that was me peeing in the yard...

[RockmartDawg]

During the housing frenzy some out-of-state property management companies bought 3-4 houses in our subdivision and turned them into rental houses. This hasn't been an issue until the past year, with one house in particular, which just happens to be the first house as you enter the subdivision, and which is clearly visible from the main road from which you enter our subdivision.

For some period of time the tenant(s) were taking their bags of garbage and just sitting them on the driveway right in front of their house. They did have some type of kitchen chair also sitting out there over next to it. I'm not kidding. I bet 40-50 bags of garbage piled up out there. We have several different options for garbage pickup in our area, but they (apparently) weren't subscribing to any. 

They also leave their garage doors open and have had 4'x8' sheets of plywood placed across the openings, apparently keeping some dogs inside the garage. A few months ago someone called the county because these two dogs... both of them pit bulls... were outside and one of the dogs had blood all over its face and chest. When the county was called the dogs were let loose (by the owner) and they ran off somewhere. We haven't seen nor heard of them since.

The police came out about the piled up garbage and somebody rented a small U-Haul truck and carried it away. Since that time they have been piling the bags of garbage on their back deck. 

Now with warmer weather they have not cut their grass one single time. Somebody in the neighborhood actually gifted them a lawn mower. It hasn't moved since it was given to them. Their grass got up to pretty much weed-field condition, and their shrub beds are full of 6' tall milk weed, sticker plants, all sorts of wild weeds that have all outgrown the shrubs.

Calls have been going to the property management company and the county. The property management company said they began the eviction process back in December. They're still there, though. You can see the blinds in the windows are all getting torn up, to the point that in one bedroom they have taken down the blinds and they now have a sheet hanging up over the inside of the window.

Somebody in the neighborhood has been putting notes in their mailbox or mailing them letters... something... apparently complaining to them. The other day the woman (who is apparently the legal tenant on the rental agreement) had one of her kids bring a kitchen chair out to the edge of the road, with a note on it telling people to stop leaving notes, saying that in the last 3 years she lost her husband and one of her kids and people should instead be offering to help her. Ironically, the very next morning somebody was driving past the house and they said an adult male was standing at the front of the garage, peeing into the yard. I guess whomever is that adult male wasn't able to help her cut the grass, so she needed somebody in the neighborhood to do it.

Somebody in the neighborhood DID go cut her grass (I would never have done that). But that same day two police cars were out there and the next day a county marshal car was there.

Their Range Rover is still parked in the driveway. I haven't seen in move in weeks, if not months. Random other cars come and go now and again.

One girl in the neighborhood has been in contact with the property management company, complaining multiple times over the past year. I guess the people in the house are now officially squatting, and the property management is having to go through the legal process to get them out.

Yay.

damn, that's terrible.....full transparency, that was me peeing in the yard...

Dang it, that wasn't me in the car who saw you... somebody did, though. Y'all need to cut y'all's grass... or her grass.. whatever it is y'all are doing.

[Ignatiusdawg]

Something similar going on in our neighborhood..........lived here 25 years and never seen anthing like it..........

[RockmartDawg]

Something similar going on in our neighborhood..........lived here 25 years and never seen anthing like it..........

Same here. I have been here 16/17 years and we've never had this problem. These people are like the absolute stereotype, though. Their front yard would make someone in the movie "Deliverance" blush. Then, when people complain to them they start moaning with lies, their husband died, they had a child die... But who are these random dudes with pit bulls shacking up in your house, taking a whizz in the bloody front yard?

[Milldawg]

Any update here? It is crazy that this is happening in a lot of areas, where do these people come from? Why is it happening now?

[GriffWoody]

It is getting warm out…time to pull the a/c fuses. They’ll be gone in days with 90* weather outside and 100+ inside.

[JC-DAWG83]

It is getting warm out…time to pull the a/c fuses.  They’ll be gone in days with 90* weather outside and 100+ inside.

You laugh, but it works.  Turning off the water at the meter works sometimes too, as long as the tenant isn't savvy enough to know how the meters work.  Water needs to be turned off late on Friday afternoon so the water works can't come out until Monday to check on it.  They will tell the tenant they didn't turn it off and they need to call a plumber.  Tenant has to pay a plumber to come out and turn a valve, probably around $100.

[RockmartDawg]

It is getting warm out…time to pull the a/c fuses.  They’ll be gone in days with 90* weather outside and 100+ inside.

You laugh, but it works.  Turning off the water at the meter works sometimes too, as long as the tenant isn't savvy enough to know how the meters work.  Water needs to be turned off late on Friday afternoon so the water works can't come out until Monday to check on it.  They will tell the tenant they didn't turn it off and they need to call a plumber.  Tenant has to pay a plumber to come out and turn a valve, probably around $100.

I'd be tempted to do exactly that. But, my luck.. there are houses everywhere now with doorbell cameras, security cameras, etc., and there would probably be a choice of which video to use to show me out there turning it off.