Squatters take over Florida home for 34 days
After squatters illegally moved into a Jacksonville, Florida home and trashed it for more than 30 days, the owners decided they have had enough of being landlords.
Former President Trump took aim at Ron DeSantis on Tuesday over the Florida governor's ongoing battle with Disney as a landlord begs for help in her expensive battle against squatters.
DeSantis' war with Disney World has escalated in recent weeks, with a company-controlled board passing agreements that effectively negated a Florida law meant to strip the entertainment giant of its self-governing authority. In response, the governor asked his chief inspector general to investigate the move and has floated a series of proposals, including putting a prison next to Disney.
"DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney," Trump posted on Truth Social. "His original P.R. plan fizzled, so now he’s going back with a new one in order to save face."
SQUATTERS TAKE OVER FLORIDA HOME FOR 34 DAYS. WATCH:
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The former president said DeSantis should instead focus on fixing "the squatter MESS." Though Trump didn't indicate the specific mess, a Florida landlord recently told Fox News that she needed help from her governor after squatters occupied her house for 34 days, causing $38,000 in damages.
"I want Gov. DeSantis to change the laws," Patti Peeples, 61, told Fox News. "Tenants are not the same as squatters."
Peeples discovered her home was taken over by squatters and their two toddlers two days after she showed the home to interested buyers. She says the situation in total cost her over $5,000 in legal fees and has made her reconsider being a landlord.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, and former President Donald Trump (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images // Win McNamee/Getty Images)
"There needs to be a far more expedited way that the court system can look at the situation and declare quickly within a couple of days whether or not that is a legitimate individual in that house who might have been defrauded by a sneaky landlord or if in fact it's the landlord that is being defrauded by a squatter," she said.
"Any sort of income that I was trusting to live off of for this year is diminished because of this act of stealing," Peeples, who was counting on real estate to subsidize her retirement, added.
Under Florida law, squatters are handled in civil court. They have 20 days to respond to lawsuits and can stay on the property until the court renders a final judgment.
A Jacksonville home was destroyed after squatters moved in. (Courtesy of Patti Peeples)
"Ron should work on the squatter MESS!" Trump said in his Truth Social post. He said DeSantis' battle with Disney was "unnecessary" and called it "a political STUNT."
The governor this week announced that he was attempting to reassert control over the district that oversees Disney, claiming the Florida Legislature will void an agreement that curbed the power of his appointed board.
"Disney’s corporate kingdom is over — despite their repeated and futile attempts to circumvent the Legislature and the will of the people," DeSantis said Monday at a press conference.
The previous board that oversaw aspects of Disney World approved a series of agreements that gave the corporate giant a wide range of control. (Getty Images for Disney Dreamers Academy)
WAR OVER THE CORPORATE KINGDOM: DESANTIS' NEW BOARD SPARS FOR CONTROL WITH DISNEY
"Their cheerleaders in the media thought that Disney ‘outsmarted’ the state, but the new control board uncovered their sloppy scheme, and the agreements will be nullified by new legislation that I intend to execute," he added.
DeSantis floated the idea of using the land next to Disney to build a state park, more amusement parks or a prison. He also teased reassessing the amusement park’s property value for taxes.
Trump, in his post, predicted that Disney's next move would be the "announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor."
"In fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing," Trump posted. "Watch! That would be a killer."
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DeSantis' office did not immediately return a request for comment.
Click here to learn more about the squatters in Jacksonville, Florida.
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