North Carolina
‘It became a cat and mouse game’: Homeowners try to keep squatters away from properties
![‘It became a cat and mouse game’: Homeowners try to keep squatters away from properties ‘It became a cat and mouse game’: Homeowners try to keep squatters away from properties](https://media.wcnc.com/assets/WCNC/images/ff18e344-5ea2-450a-ac00-79af9c75c264/ff18e344-5ea2-450a-ac00-79af9c75c264_1140x641.jpg)
Squatters have rights in North Carolina provided that they meet sure standards. In any other case, they could possibly be thought-about trespassers and charged with a criminal offense.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As of late, huge property administration corporations, even particular person traders, are making no-contact key excursions accessible for potential tenants and consumers. The issue is, persons are discovering methods to hack the system and make themselves really feel proper at dwelling so long as they will.
Individuals who occupy a property with out permission are both trespassers or squatters, and there are authorized variations between the 2.
Trespassers are thought-about to be committing a criminal offense, whereas squatters have intent to say possession of stated property they’re occupying.
Matt Fleishman, a Charlotte-based lawyer, defines a trespasser as somebody who goes onto your property for a brief time period with out attempting to get possession. These individuals could be arrested, Fleischman says.
“A squatter, or opposed possession, is civil in nature,” he stated. “This can be a declare of possession on the property. So when you have a squatter claiming possession, the police do not do something with that. So when you have any person, for instance, who has overstayed their welcome and also you need them out, you possibly can name the police, however they’re going to say it is not a criminal offense, there’s nothing for us to do with it.”
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Fleishman stated property house owners will then take the squatters to court docket and file to have them evicted.
“You might want to get a judgment to evict them,” Fleishman stated. “After which, the sheriff will exit and evict this individual from the property. That is the excellence between the 2.”
Fleishman stated the method of claiming opposed possession or squatting, hardly ever occurs and is understood to take a very long time, and North Carolina has clear tips about squatters’ rights. Many years-long necessities, in truth.
“Numerous it is going to be depending on how lengthy that squatter’s been on the property,” he stated. “In North Carolina, it’s a must to be on the property for 20 years. It needs to be uninterrupted. It needs to be open and apparent to the proprietor of the property that this individual is there, and as soon as they’ve completed all this stuff and obtain these necessities, they’ve a proper to that property.”
Chad Floyd, a Charlotte realtor at Keller Williams, had his personal expertise with some undesirable visitors in the summertime of 2020.
“I noticed crack pipes, I noticed needles,” he stated. “There have been individuals simply handed out in the home on the ground, trash in every single place.”
Floyd stated on this specific case, the tenants turned of their keys and the top of their lease, however not earlier than making copies. It then become a back-and-forth, with Floyd attempting to get the tenants out and the locks modified for good.
“It grew to become a cat and mouse sport,” Floyd stated. “We modify the locks, they break in via the home windows. We lock the home windows, they break the home windows.”
It will definitely got here to an finish when Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested a number of individuals on the property. Floyd stated he is heard anecdotally of a rise in trespasser or squatter run-ins within the Charlotte space during the last couple of years.
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“When the pandemic began, abruptly you’ve gotten a state of affairs the place individuals could be priced out of their leases,” Floyd stated. “They could simply lose entry to reasonably priced housing and the choice of squatting turns into slightly extra engaging to any person.”
Floyd recalled one occasion the place he was the one who obtained a name from the police in the course of the night time concerning what was alleged to be a vacant dwelling.
“The difficulty is that CMPD will not be licensed to behave except they’re given direct entry by the home-owner,” Floyd stated. “And within the case the place the home-owner is a few out-of-state investor, that is a tough individual to get ahold of as a result of it is some LLC in Delaware or no matter.”
Floyd stated owners are then left counting on neighbors to miss what is going on on of their neighborhood.
“You are counting on the vigilance of the general public and hoping your neighbors are form of overseeing your property the place ‘hey this does not look proper. Let’s ensure we’re maintaining our neighborhood secure.’”
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and observe her on Fb, Twitter and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is dedicated to reporting on the problems going through the communities we serve. We inform the tales of individuals working to unravel persistent social issues. We study how issues could be solved or addressed to enhance the standard of life and make a optimistic distinction. WCNC Charlotte is searching for options for you. Ship your suggestions or inquiries to newstips@wcnc.com.
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North Carolina
Obituary for Ernest "Trey" Cleveland Skipper, III at Market Street Chapel
North Carolina
North Carolina man charged with 9 felonies after shooting at tree crew
![North Carolina man charged with 9 felonies after shooting at tree crew North Carolina man charged with 9 felonies after shooting at tree crew](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/13546947_072523-wtvd-police-lights-generic-new-img.jpg?w=1600)
YANCEY COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) — A tree-trimming crew in North Carolina had a harrowing encounter when a man with a criminal record opened fire on them.
This happened near Murphytown in the Green Mountain area of Yancey County. According to a statement from the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office, 36-year-old Lucas Wilson Murphy shot three tree workers while they were clearing trees for a power company.
All three sustained serious injuries. They were taken to a hospital for treatment.
31-year-old Shelby Teague, whose husband Brandon Teague, 32, was part of the five-member crew, is still grappling with the incident. The couple have three children together.
“To have somebody crazy running through the woods is not a risk that you would think about,” she told ABC affiliate WLOS
She is thankful her husband wasn’t hurt, but three of his colleagues were.
“I’m trying not to be angry,” Shelby said. “We could have lost a bunch of good men.”
Authorities said during the exchange, an officer-involved shooting happened. Murphy was injured and taken to a hospital.
Murphy is charged with nine felony counts detailing that he assaulted five crew members with a long rifle with intent to kill.
Previous Criminal History
Shelby is angry Murphy was not in jail for previous charges.
Murphy’s misdemeanors, dating back to 2013, carry little to no jail time. This includes resisting public officers, driving while intoxicated and carrying a concealed weapon.
In 2021, the most serious case where he went to trial involved a charge that he shot and tried to kill his brother.
A law enforcement source who spoke anonymously told WLOS that Murphy’s brother refused to cooperate and minimized what happened.
Because of this, the jury could only find him guilty of assault.
Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
Amid torrential rains and flooding, 21 North Carolina river sites fail fecal bacteria testing this week
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A group says more than 20 North Carolina river sites failed testing for fecal bacteria this week after several days of torrential rains and nearly a foot of rainfall in some spots.
Leading up to Friday, there were several days of flood warnings and nearly a foot of rain fell in some North Carolina areas — such as Sampson County with 11 inches. Other spots — such as Durham County — received more than 9 inches of rain.
Sound Rivers, a group that monitors more than 50 recreational sites along North Carolina rivers, says that heavy rain can lead to more pollution in rivers.
“Swim Guide results are in, and they definitely reflect the impact all this rain is having on our waterways,” the Sound Rivers group said on Friday.
Full rainfall totals for Central NC for a week ending Friday
Some flood warnings continued this weekend with one still active Saturday along the Tar River at Tarboro in Edgecombe County.
“Remember, more stormwater runoff means more nasty stuff gets washed into the water,” Sound Rivers wrote Friday after 21 North Carolina river sites failed their weekly testing.
In the previous Swim Guide report, just six sites failed.
In the Raleigh area, three sites along the Neuse River failed the week ending July 26, according to Sound Rivers.
Just east of Raleigh in Wake County, these canoe launch sites met water quality standards less than 60 percent of the time: Buffaloe Road, Milburnie Park and Poole Road.
Elevated levels of fecal bacteria in the water can bring an increased risk of gastrointestinal illness and skin infections for pets and humans, Sound Rivers says.
East of the Wake County area along the Neuse River, these seven sites also failed water quality testing:
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Maple Cypress boat ramp in Grifton
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Glenburnie Park
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Town of Bridgton Park
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Upper Broad Creek at Black Beard Sailing Club
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Lawson Creek Park in the New Bern area
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Slocum Creek boating access in Havelock
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Pierce Creek at the Sea Harbor Yacht Club in Oriental
Closer to the North Carolina coast, 11 sites failed the testing along the Tar and Pamlico rivers:
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Sunset Park on the Tar River in Rocky Mount
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Tar River Reservoir in Rocky Mount
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River Road boat ramp on the Tar River in Tarboro
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Town Common on the Tar River in Greenville
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Wildwood Park on the Tar River in Greenville
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Port Terminal on the Tar River in Greenville
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Yankee Hall Road boat ramp on the Tar River at Pactolus
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Mason’s Landing on the Pamlico River in Washington
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Havens Gardens on the Pamlico River in Washington
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Dinah’s Landing just off the Pamlico River at Goose Creek State Park
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Cotton Patch Landing on Blounts Creek just off the Pamlico River
Sound Rivers issues a report on various recreational areas of rivers in North Carolina after testing dozens of recreational sites each week throughout the summer.
The testing by the group includes enterococci bacteria in salt water.
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