A Florida bill aimed at helping property owners remove squatters from commercial properties is one step closer to becoming law after the state Senate approved it on Wednesday, along with several other key proposals.
Senate Bill 322 would allow Floridians to contact the local sheriff’s office to remove unauthorized occupants from commercial properties like apartment complexes and office buildings without needing to go through the court system.
Why It Matters?
Squatters are people who occupy a property without legal permission.
Last year, several high-profile cases of homeowners struggling to regain control of their properties from squatters led lawmakers across the country to take action.
In Florida, a law passed last year allows homeowners to ask the local sheriff’s office to remove squatters who unlawfully entered their property and refused to leave after being asked.
The law also introduced severe penalties for squatters, ranging from a first-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree felony.
However, that law only applied to residential properties, not commercial ones—a gap that lawmakers are now addressing.
Newsweek reached out to Sen. Rodriguez’s office for comment on Thursday morning.
What To Know?
Senate Bill 322 was introduced by Republican Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez in January and passed the Florida Senate with a unanimous 39–0 vote.
The bill would allow property owners to remove squatters more quickly by filing a complaint with the local sheriff’s office instead of going through a lengthy court process.
Property owners would need to pay a civil eviction fee and cover the hourly rate of the deputy handling the removal.
A companion bill in the Florida House, House Bill 213, sponsored by Republican Rep. Peggy Gossett-Siedman, also advanced last week, passing a Legislative committee with a 15–2 vote.
What People Are Saying?
During a Senate committee meeting last week, Republican Sen. Jonathan Martin asked: “Are you telling me right now law enforcement can’t remove somebody from commercial property if the property owner asks them to?”
Sen. Rodriguez replied: “That is correct. We addressed this issue for residential properties last session, and now we’re doing the same for commercial ones.”
What’s Next?
The bill now moves to the Florida House of Representatives for consideration. If approved, it would need to be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis and is expected to take effect on July 1.
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