Shocking photos after squatters wreaked havoc at a $38,000 apartment building and threw human feces at landlords
AFTER two squatters allegedly caused thousands of damage to a rental home, shocking photos showing the wild situation have since been unveiled.
In Jacksonville, Fla., two women reportedly refused to leave a rental property — allegedly throwing bricks and human feces at landlords trying to take over the home.
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Along with their pet pit bulls, the women caused around $40,000 worth of damage to a home they occupied for over a month, according to the New York Post.
Patti Peeples and Dawn Tiura previously owned the rental home before learning their investment was being occupied by the squatters.
A handyman came to make repairs for an upcoming inspection and spotted the pit bull with several puppies on the back porch of the house.
After reporting the situation to Peeples, she discovered that the two women resided at the property, according to News4Jax.
The owners told the news outlet that the women likely moved there sometime in March, after the previous tenants vacated the premises.
The unwelcome couple reportedly claimed to law enforcement that they were victims of a Zillow rental scam.
They claimed they paid rent, signed a lease and posted a deposit on the property under a false advertisement from a false landlord, according to Fox News.
Police reports obtained by the news agency revealed that one of the two women was evicted from a nearby home in mid-February.
She claimed to have paid a landlord with the same address they used to rent Peeples and Tiura’s property.
Still, the landlords were able to reclaim the home after paying $5,000 in court fees earlier this week.
This comes after both Peeples and Tiura allegedly suffered attacks from the two women who took over the property, Fox reported.
“We were driving by at night and they threw a brick at my car and damaged it and we had the window halfway down and they threw human feces in the car,” Peeples claimed to Fox News.
The landlords were then able to inspect the house, which had suffered appalling damage.
There were reports of ripped-out cupboards, holes punched in the wall, and the washer and dryer missing.
There was also smashed tiles, with doors completely ripped from their hinges, according to the Daily Mail, among others.
Dog feces were also reportedly spread throughout the house.
In total, the damage cost Peeples and Tiura about $38,000 to fix.
However, Peeples told News4Jax that they are speaking to their attorney to see if criminal charges can be filed.
“We called our lawyer to see what our rights are. And he indicated that this has now progressed to a grand larceny and a criminal matter,” she told the news outlet.
“We must recognize that a squatter is not a tenant and that a squatter is committing a criminal act.”
The landlord is also asking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to change state laws about removing squatters from properties.
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