How long does it take to evict a squatter?
My client found out the hard way....
When my client was trying to evict a couple squatting in her investment home, her lawyer told her something that is a surprise to most people who hear this story.
Because her home sat on more than 5 acres,
the typical eviction process did not apply.
In Idaho, 51 days is about the longest period of time an eviction can drag out.
Instead, because the home was on more than 5 acres, she needed to hire a lawyer and proceed with a judicial eviction through the court system. This meant months before the case came up on the docket, another month under advisement. Thousands of dollars in legal expenses.
Then, after the judge ruled in her favor and ordered the eviction, it took 10 days before she could step foot on her property, while the squatters hauled away two storage sheds, the hot tub and air conditioner on a flat bed truck in view of the neighbors!
Because the judge's ruling came down on a Friday, and the sheriff's office doesn't serve eviction notices over the weekend, the process started the following Monday. They posted the notice and tried for several days to serve.
On the last day, they were able to serve the eviction notice. At that point the squatters had 72 hours to be out. Which put us into the following weekend. But until the sheriff's deputy goes out to the property to verify that the squatters have vacated the property, the owner can't step foot on the property. So another weekend to wait.
Now, if they haven't vacated by this point in time, the sheriff will place all of their personal property in storage, which the property owner will be required to pay for! THEN, the owner will be able to take possession of the property.
No one who has heard this story has been aware that the eviction process is much more complicated when the home is on more than 5 acres.
If you're a homeowner who is considering
renting or leasing your rural property, be sure to take this into consideration as you decide how to proceed!
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