Heidi Peterson, Detroit Homeowner, Finds Squatter In House

[shawn703]

Source: Huffington Post

Heidi Peterson left her rundown Detroit home early last year after her boiler broke down so that it could undergo extensive renovations. But after she returned last week to find a squatter had moved in and refuses to leave, she's boiling mad.

Not only that, but the woman, a former tenant of hers named Missionary-Tracey Elaine Blair who is a write-in candidate for president, changed the locks, put in new appliances and plumbing, replaced the appliances and slapped an $8,500 construction lien on the house. She also changed the curtains.

"She thinks that this is a program in Detroit to take people's homes and fix them up and then she gets to keep them," Peterson told MyFoxDetroit.com, which first reported the bizarre story. "I don't know what her capabilities are. We're afraid of her mindset of entitlement."

Despite her fears, Peterson said she has nowhere else to go and is being forced to live with her 1-year-old daughter just one room away from Blair while she goes to court to oust her unwanted house guest.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/10/11/detroit-homeowner-finds-s_n_1958254.html

---

What would you do in this situation? I'd probably see if I can make lemonade from these lemons - I'm sure "My Life with a Squatter" has the makings of being a reality TV hit.

[randome]

1. What is a 'boiler'? And why would it take nearly two years to fix it?

[NYC_SKP]

2. A boiler heats the home and provides hot water. NT

[randome]

4. Call that a hot water heater here.

But that wouldn't take long to replace. Why was she gone for so long?

[SemperEadem]

12. perhaps she had to have all of the plumbing ripped out

and replaced. And it depends, also, on how quickly her contractor works. Some of them take their own sweet time doing a job.

It doesn't matter how much time it took. The fact is the squatter does not legally own that property and therefore cannot legally live there. The end.

[randome]

15. 'Early last year', the article says.

I don't disagree about evicting the squatter but something about the story DOES seem fishy.

It would not take a year and a half or longer to replace a hot water heater.

[SemperEadem]

22. I encourage you to read response #14

she was having a BOILER switched out, not a hot water heater. Big, huge difference between the two.

Generally speaking, you're also dealing with asbestos with those things. Like I said, not every contractor is speedy or knows how to switch one out or does it cheaply. How long ago the work started is non sequitur.

[pnwmom]

23. What difference does it make how long it was? Switching out a boiler is expensive.

She was probably trying to save the money, and now this other woman's trying to steal the house out from under her.

[hrmjustin]

52. +1

[Eleanors38]

26. I replaced my hot water heater in a day. A boiler is

Fundamental to a home's structure, and requires a crew, much removal and installation of pipes, money and time.

[randome]

29. Everyone! I got it! As I posted in #16 more than 90 minutes ago.

[snooper2]

66. we're just making sure...did you wiki it yet?

[NYC_SKP]

14. Well, have you ever been back East, or in a 100 year old building with radiators?

Steam radiators?

That's what boilers do, using fuel oil or even coal, they boil water.

The building is heated with boiled water.

The hot water is a side benefit, and boilers are nothing like your little gas water heater.

Boilers can weigh as much as a large truck and all the high pressure steam piping that goes with is more work to replace than all the pipes and wires in your more modern home.

Boilers:

[randome]

16. OK, then. Thanks for setting me straight.

[NYC_SKP]

64. I was surprised to learn these things myself when I first moved to NYC.

All these trucks running around loaded with fuel oil number 2, hooking hoses up to filler stubs to pump hundreds of gallons of diesel into holding tanks in the basements of apartment buildings.

One month I had to pay for the fuel myself, as the landlord was behind in payments.

A pretty steep price that I took off the rent.

[dixiegrrrrl]

31. Thank you for that enlightening answer, Skip.

In the perennial holiday movie, Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story", the kid's old man has frequent battles with an apparent coal burning heating unit in the basement. And there are radiators in the movie. So I assume that was all about a coal fired boiler? I think the "old man" mentioned "clinkers"?

[Thor_MN]

36. A clinker is a fused mineral deposit that rattles around in the firebox.

When I was little, you could find clinkers on the shore of Lake Superior that were light enough that they could float. They would get thrown out out of the stacks of coal fired steamships.

My grandmother's house originally had a coal fired boiler that powered a low pressure steam system. It was converted to a fuel oil boiler by the time I was born and then over to natural gas by about the mid 80's. Lots of room in the basement gained with each conversion.

[Brickbat]

45. You can still find them on the shore.

[shanti]

72. it's a scam that has been going on for awile

here in southern california, one guy had it down pat. he was squatting in a newport coast home (read:$$$$$). i don't know if he is still there now though.

[jeff47]

30. A hot water heater makes hot drinking/showering water

It can't heat your house.

Boilers are much larger, and get much hotter.

[NutmegYankee]

38. No. This is for a Hydronic heating system, not forced air

Many homes in the Northeast have radiators (baseboard or standing) that provide the heat. The hot water is also produced by the boiler, so there is no normal 40 gallon how water heater.

[jmowreader]

77. Totally different items

A water heater is for doing what the name implies. Cold water goes in, hot comes out and never comes back.

Boilers make steam for heating and the used steam (normally condensed to hot water) returns to the boiler.

Old boilers are bigger than refrigerators, cast iron and not made to be removed. To get one out of the basement you have to tear down part of the house.

[jerseyjack]

8. Costs about $4 - 10K depending on required size and what else is broken along with the boiler.

[Tigress DEM]

18. I'm thinking the "old style radiator type heat" if the "boiler died" then she'd replace whole system

Boilers were the heating systems of the late 1800's tail end of the 19th century and is a completely different type of heating than most modern systems. If she put in a new energy efficient gas heating/cooling system, the whole place would need to be remodeled to remove the old radiators and add in ducting and vents.


NEW style radiator heat
http://www.ehow.com/list_6864977_residential-boiler-heating-system-advantages.html

OLD STYLE BOILER

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8GwIlRsNhO5xeUDm7IzbiHq8tyOeDtZWissjgklPq7gYLYwJe-WPgdGC0


History

http://sunhomedesign.wordpress.com/2007/10/26/a-brief-history-of-heating-and-cooling-americas-homes/

[randome]

19. I've learned a lot on a seemingly innocuous post on DU.

[dkf]

37. Me too.

[Orrex]

3. They could call it "Lien on Me"

[randome]

5. Good one!

[freedom fighter jh]

7. Good one. That's funny nt

[BeliQueen]

6. This story seems fishy

The homeowner bought the house and, without any fixes, began renting it out.

The "squatter" says she has a lease, and the owner acknowledges that she did rent the home to the occupant.

It seems like the owner is casting aspersions on the character of the occupant to get the court of public opinion on her side, but nothing in this story makes sense to me.

The occupant doesn't say that she's a part of some program that takes over homes and renovates them. That statement comes from the owner. The occupant says that she has a lease.

[Tigress DEM]

20. The boiler was working when she bought the house. Not so fishy.

Squatter had a lease, but once there is no heat, both the homeowner and renter would have to leave because the place would be condemned by the city as non-livable until repairs were made. So the renter returned illegally.

Somewhere it said the renter is a "write in candidate for president" maybe that "program" part is in some other article covering that aspect of the story.

BUT all that said, I think the homeowner should get over her initial upset and add that lien to the tennent's bill over time or keep all the appliances, some equitable arrangement. IF the renter is delusional, then she needs to go to the hospital first and the owner needs to get family involved to make decisions and possibly other living arrangements.

[Lucky Luciano]

9. I'd probably get a bat and crush the mother fucking piece of shit trying to steal my property. nt

[randome]

10. I guess that's one way to go about it.

[Codeine]

78. Your username made that a given! ;-) nt

[SemperEadem]

11. I would go and file eviction papers on her at the county court house first

Then I would have called the sheriff and had them go with me to oust the woman from my home..

And I'd have my title papers in my hand and demand to see her title to the property.

If the sheriff could not oust her on the spot, then at least the papers to get her evicted from my property would have already been set in motion. NOw, the squatter will have to answer to the law for squatting and they will have a set time in order to do so. If they fail to answer, their stuff will be put out on the street.

Oh, and while she's at the court house filling out the paperwork, I'd go to my home and change the locks back.

The squatter has no legal right to be in that house. Period.

[Eleanors38]

27. I was a land lord, and it is hard to get a tenant-squatter out.

Court costs, appeals, damage, proper seizure of non-exempt assets and their return. And that fucking righteous attitude.

[Lightbulb_on]

87. Don't forget the trashing of the house once they actually do have to leave...

Dirt in the pipes, floors and walls destroyed etc.. etc..

[Eleanors38]

90. Oh, always. It's the law.nt

[Lightbulb_on]

91. Right... Since the squatters have shown such respect...

... for law, morality and property rights so far. I'm sure they'll leave it spic and span.

It isn't unreasonable to think that someone who would steal would also cause damage and to be prepared for it.

[dipsydoodle]

13. UK law was changed in September

to prohibit such antics in residential property.

[Submariner]

17. Yikes!

I'd throw the squatters belongings, and the squatter, out on the street so fast she/he wouldn't know what hit her. Rechange the locks, and get new applainces to replace what I just threw out on the street. Of all the f'ing nerve of some people.

[Tigress DEM]

21. She had a lease at one point. May be more complicated. nt

[Eleanors38]

28. Be careful. See 27 above.

[Alameda]

71. if you did that, she might just end up owning you and the property too

[Sunlei]

24. why can't she call the police,(show the deed) have her arrested and removed?

[Posteritatis]

34. Because a judge, not the cops, has to order that. (nt)

[cstanleytech]

40. Why cant she call the police and have her arrested for breaking and entering then?

After all that is what it sounds like what she did.

[Posteritatis]

48. Because squatting is not legally the same as B&E, and is in fact protected by the law. (nt)

[cstanleytech]

50. Wow, thats just wierd.

You would think that if someone were to break into your home (like this case) you could just have them arrested for breaking and entering.
So what in your opinion is the main reason the police wont get involved? Afraid of being sued?

[Posteritatis]

61. The main reason is that, legally, there is no reason for them to be involved.

If the legitimate homeowner called the police to remove them, they'd have to refuse; if the homeowner removed the squatters by force, they would be the one guilty of B&E, on top of assault charges and other things as necessary.

As far as the rules are concerned, it's the squatters' home now until a complete court case decides otherwise. The burden of proof is entirely on the person who lost their home, and these sorts of things often takes months or even years to resolve.

You have it right in your subject line - "weird" sums up a lot of laws surrounding squatters fairly well.

[badhair77]

25. A similar situation

http://www.insideedition.com/headlines/5101-family-fights-to-reclaim-their-home-after-they-say-squatters-moved-in

It's a homeowner's nightmare. A family went out of town and came back to find quite a shock - squatters had moved into their house.

Dayna and Troy Donovan and their two daughters had to live in a relative's cramped basement for months because they couldn't move back into their own house. They couldn't even come within 100 yards of their home because the squatters got a restraining order.

The whole situation sounds like a nightmare.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

32. Another simmilar situation. True story.

A family that I know rents the second and third floors of their three unit house. They lived on the fist floor and walk out basement apartment.

The tenants of their second floor unit moved out, and the landlords needed to fill this apartment fast since they had a few properties and other tenants were moving out as well: causing a downturn in cash flow.

They rented to a single mother and teen daughter. They thought their references were good.

After the first month the new tenant stopped paying rent, and there were strangers coming around at all hours of the night into the early morning. The landlors tried to work out a deal on rent, but the tenant wouldn't pay anything. Apparently these tenants had done this before, but there was nothing that he landlords could do right away. The landlords had a lawyer and he advised against any undocumented meetings with the tenants lest they claimed harassment or abuse of any kind. It took 6 months, a missed court appearance by the tenant and then an eviction notice with sheriffs to present it before the tenants, or squatters if you will, left. They actually beat the eviction notice and sheriffs by an hour. Cowards.

The end story is that the tenants trashed the apartment: holes punched in walls, scratched up doors and they chain smoked until the whole place reeked. They were assholes. It took about 50K in renovations to make the apartment livable again. The landlord took the apartment down to the studs and removed the memory and stink of nicotine.

The point is that some people do this all the time, and others get hurt because of it. Don't take the law into your own hands or you can wind up paying out a lot more than just attorney fees. You could be arrested and sued.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

82. I've heard similar stories from several different landlords.

They're called professional renters. They move in with no intention of ever paying rent. It takes six months to get rid of them and they live rent free in the meanwhile.

[tama]

33. "What would you do in this situation?"

Go to whine of FOX for not making money on "investment" the "owner" can't show the paperwork for, what else?

This is Detroit. 100 000 abandoned houses. Homeless people moving in, many of those who come and stay turning vacant lots into gardens - people gotta eat also.

[DonCoquixote]

63. If your house was unlivable during repairs

and someone took it while you were fixing it, would YOU be happy?

The owner was not a slum lord, she was trying to move back in with her daugjhter after she got the thing fixed.

[tama]

74. FOX story, don't trust them

Detroit is very interesting place:

&feature=player_detailpage

&feature=player_detailpage

[hunter]

35. The odds are good this story is bullshit...

Landlord-tenant disputes are the worst.

Maybe heating broke and Landlord said Tenant could live there rent free if they worked on house.

Could be a Tenant from hell.

Is the lien valid, or a scam? God knows there's plenty of scammers, who do crap "repairs" and file liens like this.

We don't know.

Want to find the crook? I'd look at that lien first...

[NutmegYankee]

39. I go right into my house and force them out at gunpoint.

Last edited Sat Oct 13, 2012, 05:13 PM - Edit history (1)

I have the deed to my home. There isn't a jury in 100 miles that would convict me of a crime.

On edit:
To be clear - I do not lease my home and never have. If someone had broken in they would be apprehended as a burglar and the police would be called to arrest them while I detained them. If you are in my house unauthorized, obviously you'd be a burglar or similar criminal. But just as a note, without a lease anyone can be removed from a home by the owner that very day in my state.

The magical thinking of some other posters in this thread would allow a burglar to claim he was a tenant and then he'd be allowed to live there. It's ridiculous. If you come home and someone has broken in you act.

[CreekDog]

41. i love tough-guy-talk

imagining themselves in the movies.

"i'll kick your ass cause i have a gun and i'm tough"

[NutmegYankee]

42. It's not tough guy talk.

I am the home owner, there are no leases, and CT law allows for immediate removal if there is no lease.

Answer me this - Would you really let someone break in, change the locks, trash your belongings, and live in your home for months rent free while you are forced to find emergency shelter.


I wouldn't.

[randome]

44. Taking any action without knowing the facts is not a very smart way to conduct oneself.

[NutmegYankee]

47. I would know the facts if it was my own home.

The case in the OP is likely far more complex since she rented it. In my case, the people inside would be thieves, and I have the right to defend my property.

[randome]

49. Sure, you have the right. That's not in dispute.

And you're not required to understand anything if you choose not to. If it was me, I'd find out why they were there and try to work something out, even helping them find other housing. But I'd never throw someone out on the street unless I was convinced they 'deserved' it.

[NutmegYankee]

51. You may make that choice.

I however would not. I'd detain them until police arrived to remove them. Under state law, an officer can immediately remove anyone who is living in the home (other than owner and family) without a lease if they are told to leave. No eviction order is required. Of course, this would be even simpler as I'd have them arrested for breaking in and such. And yes I would be armed; criminals are dangerous.

The magical thinking some other posters in this thread have stated would allow a burglar to claim he was a tenant and then he'd be allowed to live there. It's ridiculous. If you come home and someone has broken in you act.

[eilen]

67. The laws are different in different states and municipalities

For example, in Nashville, TN if you let someone stay at your house for more than 2 days that could be considered their new residence and you have to start eviction proceedings against them to get them out. If you tell them to leave and they call the police and accuse you of assault and file an order of protection against you, You are then forced from your own home for 10 days until a hearing on the order of protection is heard and a judge can either extend it for a year or lift it. During those ten days, you can't initiate eviction proceedings (you can't while there is an order of protection) as it is considered harassment and threats. Once you initiate the eviction process, there is a hearing in 10 days. The home-usurper can try and appeal which will give them up to 30 days to get out.

It's sick and it happened to my brother except it was my stupid brother that let his crazy vile ex back for a couple months. She told the police they were still married and that he was not the sole owner of the home. The police were not interested in looking at any paperwork that proved anything.

[NutmegYankee]

68. I know.

Our nation is a patchwork of laws.

[CreekDog]

53. see how easy it is to get them out while your ass is sitting in jail

no, i have no patience with the squatters.

but the tough guy talk --that's for the movies.

what are you gonna do? shoot them if they don't leave? no i don't support that.

[randome]

54. I'm sure he'd pick them up with one hand and toss them out the door.

You know, like a superhero would do.

[NutmegYankee]

55. The police would drag them out after they arrived.

Once again, there are no squatters rights here. And my home is neither unoccupied nor abandoned.

I come home, I apprehend the burglar with a firearm for my protection and the police arrest them. I would make every effort to avoid shooting them - Blood really does a number on wood floors, and I like mine. But if I was attacked, I'd defend myself in accordance with the state's castle doctrine.

You say you have no patience for squatters, but you seem to do so with burglars. You want to give your home up. Go right on ahead.

[CreekDog]

56. well i don't point a gun at someone unless i need to shoot them

but apparently you missed that lesson.

you're basically saying, if you don't let me citizen-arrest you, i will shoot you.

see why this conversation turned into "how wrong NutmegYankee is".

[NutmegYankee]

59. No, they could run away. And I could do nothing about it.

But otherwise, yes, I'd point a gun at an intruder. Until they are out of the premises or in the hands of police, I must assume they intend to do harm to me.

And I don't care if you mistakenly think I'm wrong. I'm not the one doing back flips to defend criminals.

[hunter]

43. Well that's one way to get free government housing.

A nice little room with a stainless steel toilet and peanut butter on white bread sandwiches for lunch.

Cops and Judges hate vigilante cowboy stuff.

Jail time followed by a civil suit would be a good outcome.

A bad outcome is the squatters shoot you first.

[NutmegYankee]

46. I don't care

I don't cower to thieves. In my case - which was the question - the trespassers would clearly be thieves as I have never rented the home, and I would hold them till the police arrested them. A friend nearby came home to a break in and did the same thing. He isn't in a cell. And neither would I be.

I don't rent my home out. I laugh at the people here who think it it even expected to just walk away from one's home because another broke in and says they won't leave.

[CreekDog]

58. that's pretty tough, get out your gun and show them how tough you are...

no, no, wait, be even more kick-ass than that!

get on the internet and say you're going to get out your gun and show them how tough you are.

i mean just posting that on DU will knock them over faster than a roundhouse kick.

[NutmegYankee]

60. Still defending thieves and burglars are you?

I'm sure the good citizens of San Fran are happy you value thieves over law abiding homeowners.

Keep up the good work!

[CreekDog]

76. please quote one instance of me "defending thieves and burglars"

without lying, which will make it impossible.

[NutmegYankee]

81. Your entire body of replies. nt

[CreekDog]

79. I guess you take back saying that I defended burlgars, thank you!

since you couldn't quote anything where I did that.

[NutmegYankee]

80. No, just watching football all day.

Nice Romney Projection there.

Look at you, Mr. bad ass yourself. And I stand by my statement.

[CreekDog]

83. you stand by it, you just don't know why

[NutmegYankee]

84. *yawn*

[CreekDog]

85. You're saying "yawn" because you realize that nothing I said defended burglars

but since you aren't an upstanding person, you won't admit you made a false accusation.

glad we cleared that up.

[NutmegYankee]

88. ...

[CreekDog]

89. of course it's funny to you --you weren't the one who accused someone of defending burglars

i mean that is pretty funny if you can say it to someone else and get away with it.

[oldbanjo]

62. I agree with you on this,

If I leave home and come back and find someone has broken into my house and is still inside I will call the Police and have them arrested, If I walk into my house without knowing someone is in the house and I see them I will be shooting. Your life is in danger if someone is inside your house and they see you first. There is something wrong with this whole story, something is missing..

[CreekDog]

57. .

okay, maybe not funny.

but I lol'd.

[ripcord]

65. There is an additional problem here

Courts are very reluctant to evict people with children, there are some cases where the homeowner might have to pay for relocation.

[pitbullgirl1965]

73. Seriously?

Just because they have kids? That just ticks me off. I have pets, and my pets take priority over kids, esp if they were living in my (and my pets') house.

[wordpix]

69. my friend took in a renter & she then stopped paying so was essentially a squatter

He could not get rid of her for about a year of her non-payments. ugh. Cured me of thinking I could ever rent out my extra room.

[Selatius]

75. It took a full year before the court issued an eviction notice to the tenant? nt

[progressivebydesign]

70. there are very scummy people SELLING legal kits to these grifters... to do this.

It's fucking horrific to do to someone. I'd burn my fucking house down before I'd let them live in it.

[Evasporque]

86. If she was a landlord....

You cant simply evict a tenant because you fail to keep up the property...

[CBGLuthier]

92. "We're afraid of her mindset of entitlement."

That one comment kind of sums up the purpose of this piece. typical Fox Bullshit.