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Video - Cops actually arrest owner of $1 million home for changing locks on squatter, charge her with unlawful eviction

Dave Urbanski

5–6 minutes

Cameras were rolling when police arrested the owner of a $1 million home in New York City for changing the locks on a squatter and charged her with unlawful eviction, WABC-TV reported Monday.

"It's not fair that I, as the homeowner, have to be going through this," Adele Andaloro told the station.

What are the details?

WABC said Andaloro inherited her family's home in Flushing, Queens, after her parents passed away — and she was in the process of selling it when she noticed the front door and lock had been changed.

Turns out squatters moved into her home in February and refused to leave, she told the station.

"I'm really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home," Andaloro added to WABC.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

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In New York, squatters have rights after 30 days, the station reported.

"By the time someone does their investigation, their work, and their job, it will be over 30 days, and this man will still be in my home," Andaloro complained to WABC.

The station said its crew was with Andaloro when she went to her property and witnessed a woman walking up to the house, unlocking the door, and leaving.

Andaloro decided to enter the property with her daughter — and her property deed in hand, WABC said.

"This is proving everything I said," Andaloro told the station as she entered her home's main room. "This is my furniture, these are my curtains."

'Who are you, sir? Get out of my house'

Then she found two men inside her home, WABC reported.

"Who are you, sir? Get out of my house," Andaloro said to one man sleeping in a bedroom as cameras rolled.

WABC said it asked one of the men how long he'd been there, and he replied, "I moved in two days ago." The station said the second man refused to answer questions.

But they did call police on Andaloro, WABC noted, adding that she in turn called a locksmith.

"We didn't come in illegally," Andaloro also said, according to the station. "The door was open."

When police arrived, they began interviewing the men and neighbors, and they asked for documents, WABC said.

"Do you have something that shows you've been here more than 30 days?" one officer asked the men, according to the station.

Sure enough, the men failed to provide police with documentation, and WABC said officers escorted both of them off the property.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Image source: YouTube screenshot

But police also had a warning for Andaloro about changing the locks, the station said, adding that it's against the law in New York to turn off utilities, change locks, and remove belongings of someone claiming to be a tenant.

"I may end up in handcuffs today if a man shows up here and says I have illegally evicted him," Andaloro told WABC. "I said, 'Let him take me to court as I've been told to take him to court' because today I'm not leaving my house."

'He can't be kicked out'

Just a few minutes after police left and the locks were changed, a man who claimed he was leasing the house showed up with one of the men officers had just escorted off the property — and they pushed through the front door, the station said.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

"Do you see this this guy just literally broke down my door, broke through myself and my daughter," Andaloro told WABC as cameras continued rolling.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

When the cops showed up a second time, it was bad news for Andaloro.

"He can't be kicked out," police told her, according to the station. "You have to go to court."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

WABC said police consider it a landlord-tenant issue and that the law states the dispute has to be handled through housing court and not with police.

The kicker? The station said because Andaloro changed the locks, police arrested her for unlawful eviction.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

More from WABC:

When Eyewitness News asked Brian Rodriguez, the man who claims to have a lease, for documentation he provided none. Instead, he showed bills for work he claimed he had done to the house. He said he moved into the home a few months ago and signed documents with a realtor but wouldn't say who that realtor is.

"You got to go to court and send me to court," said Rodriguez. He said he'll leave "if she pays me my money that I put in the house," said Rodriguez. "Pay me the money, and I'll leave, or send me to court; it's that simple."

But the station said such disputes are anything but simple, and that the Rent Stabilization Association said it takes an average of 20 months to resolve eviction cases in New York City.

As for Andaloro, she told WABC her only option now is to open an eviction filing in landlord-tenant court.

Squatter standoff captured on camera in Queensyoutu.be

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To Serve and Protect.

Must depend on where ya live.

Step 1: Wait for squatters to leave.

Step 2: Drill locks and change them.

Step 3: Wait inside for them to return with a shotgun on your lap. Tell them to leave and never return, or you will be enforcing the castle doctrine if they try to enter.

Problem solved. If you're nervous about any confrontation, bring along 3-4 burley buddies and a cooler of beer to pass the time.

Squatters at heart are lazy cowards. They will slink off into the darkness when they are exposed and confronted by people who do not put up with shenanigans. They only want weak, easy prey. The solution is to be neither weak nor easy.

I think you would go to jail if you laid in wait with a shotgun and threatened them.

Not saying it wouldn't work, but one video of you standing there with a shotty saying leave and I bet they will own you for a bit.

Still can't believe that the squatters have so many rights. Being a criminal pays better at times.

According to my attorney, squatters in Pa do not have legal standing, that is until you file on them in court.

I would call BS on the police claiming it’s a housing court issue. By definition they have to pick a side to resolve the dispute on the spot. They can’t choose to side with the squatter and claim they are being neutral.

Sounds to me like the police feed too much information to the squatters.

If they would have just broken in my door, they would have been shot.

How did their ever get to be a law where squatters even have rights at all?

I don't understand this logic.

Squatter busted in and it is okay - they are now residents

This story has been making the rounds. I typically listen to 2 - 4 podcasts a day while I drive around. Yesterday, 2 of them were talking about it. One of them spent a good deal of time on it too. I did also hear that some politicians in FL are now starting to look at this and attempt to get things right. Hopefully they can quickly and the rest of the states will follow. Sadly, I'm pretty sure not all states will.