DALLAS — Squatting isn’t something many homeowners think about often. It can happen when a person occupies a property that has been sitting empty or that has been vacant.
This is not a common phenomenon. But Newsweek pointed out a few months ago that Dallas was cited by the National Rental Home Council as the city with the second highest number of these home takeovers.
This is usually something you have to be concerned with if you have a second home, a vacation home or a rental property — any of which might be unoccupied for a period of time.
But recently, on Y’all-itics, the ‘unofficial political podcast of Texas’, we devoted an episode to the issue. We had a conversation with a Dallas-area homeowner named Terri Boyette, who was having work done at her home.
While that project was underway, she had to take an extended trip to another state to take care of her mother. That’s when she says a handyman squatted, and essentially made her home his. Boyette had previously shown us how the squatter trashed the place. And she says, as this played out over time, police told her they couldn’t do much about it because Texas law isn’t very strong on squatting.
Boyette says this should all be a cautionary tale for homeowners. She warns that even if your homeowner insurance policy is current, it may not cover you if a squatter moves in — if the property is considered by the insurer to be vacant or unoccupied.
Often, an insurer can make that determination if the house hasn’t been lived in for 30 to 60 days, and may require a different kind of insurance.
But after her experience, Boyette warns that time period can vary by policy.
“One of the things I tell people is…check your homeowner’s policy and make sure that it's (the time period you can be away without an issue) at least 30 days or more," Boyette said. "And if you're going to be gone for more than 30 days for any reason, you need to get a vacancy addendum that will cover it no matter what. But I've had people who were like, 'I checked. Mine is 14 days. I had to call them. Or I’m going to be gone for six weeks on an extended vacation, so I had to call them.'”
This is something for property owners to consider if they have a home that might sit empty or vacant for a while, including those who take long vacations or who spend a long period away from home to take care of a relative.
Boyette has a heck of a cautionary tale, and she is sharing it with anyone who will listen, including Texas lawmakers who have heard her testimony. One state senator already vows that changes are coming to strengthen laws addressing squatting in Texas.
Listen to this episode of Y’all-itics here: