MESQUITE, Texas — It is hard to feel at home when your house is boarded up.
“It was just a huge, huge mess,” said Terri Boyette, a Mesquite resident.
Boyette told WFAA that last summer, she hired a highly recommended repair man from TikTok to work on her Mesquite home. While she said repairs were going well, she had to go to Florida to help her mother. About two weeks later, she said her friend came by the home to pick up her mail for her.
“She said, ‘Hey, I didn't realize you decided to stay in Florida and rent your house out,’ and I said, 'I didn't.' She said, 'well, there's a man who says he lives in your house,'” said Boyette.
She said the repairman was squatting there and bringing in others.
“He doesn't have a lease. This isn't a tenant,” said Boyette.
She let WFAA take a look inside the home.
“Trash, rotten food everywhere. drug paraphernalia,” said Boyette.
It has been almost a year, and she still can’t live in her home. Someone who was inside the home also left a sign that read, “Homeless Need money for room and food Thanks Disabled!”
Boyette said she contacted Mesquite police in June and was told it was a civil matter. Mesquite Police told WFAA they received multiple calls about the home, but not any related to a squatting situation.
Boyette got an attorney who she said advised doing an eviction.
“Once you serve somebody with eviction papers, they're legally recognized as a tenant,” said Boyette.
In December, she said a judge granted that eviction but extended the squatter’s appeal 30 days.
“She didn't want him to be homeless over the holidays which left me homeless over the holidays,” said Boyette. “I think from the attorney he started to realize that this was serious. So, that was at the point where he started selling my items. So, at first, he sold the washer dryer, the refrigerator, my dining room table, big items.”
Mesquite police said they didn’t get their first call about the squatter until March. At that time, the squatter had been evicted and Boyette was allowed back in her home.
Thursday, she appeared before the Texas Senate’s Local Government Committee.
“It's one thing to protect your legitimate renters, which is what we need to do. But squatters have no right to occupy what they do not own,” said Paul Bettencourt, Texas State Senator D-7.
Bettencourt said there are about 475 of these cases in the DFW area. He said Texas does not have a clear definition for squatters, so he, along with the committee, is finding ways to address legal loopholes.
“One of them is to upgrade penalties for squatters. This is criminal not settled, because, you know, it's not like he can sue a squatter that has any money. And that's a ridiculous concept,” said Bettencourt.
Mesquite police said in a statement, “The Mesquite Police Department and other law enforcement agencies constantly exercise caution when investigating property claims because many disputes fall under civil law, especially those related to evictions. In such cases, the police role is to primarily maintain peace and order, rather than to arbitrate property disputes. It is the stance of the Mesquite Police Department that all calls regarding Boyette’s residence have been handled appropriately and professionally, with due regard for existing state law.”
“We've got to make certain that the police officers have clear and unequivocal standard operating procedures on how to handle those things,” said state Sen. Royce West.
“I am hopeful that at least some good will come out of this and other homeowners in Texas won't have to deal with these same issues,” said Boyette.
Mesquite police said the squatter came back in April banging on the home. They arrested him on a complaint of criminal trespass.
Detectives told WFAA that on May 3, they issued a Burglary of a Habitation warrant for the squatter for the call reported in March.