SPOKANE, Wash. – The family of a man with dementia says that he was exploited by squatters for six years.
Stacy, who asked for her last name not to be used in the interest of safety, says that her father was living on his property alone in 2018 when a friend asked to stay at her father’s home for a few days to recover from surgery.
Over five years later, that man and his girlfriend had moved into the house and argued that they had a right to remain on the property because of a verbal agreement they made with Stacy’s father. They say they agreed to pay him $300 monthly to stay at the property.
According to Eric Steven of Steven Law Office, a claimed verbal agreement makes it more difficult to terminate a landlord agreement because it confers renter’s rights upon the individuals living on the property.
Steven argues that the current legal landscape doesn’t do enough to prospect property owners.
“I think it has created a dangerous environment,” Steven said.
The couple has moved off the property after a legal battle over the property, but Stacy says that the expenses involved in the debacle have essentially bankrupted her family and caused her extreme stress.
