Senate Committee Advances Bill Targeting Squatting and Tenant Disputes

A state Senate committee advanced legislation Monday following up on a bill the General Assembly passed last year aimed at illegal squatters. The 2024 measure, which cleared the Georgia House and Senate unanimously, created the offense of unlawful squatting when someone enters upon the land or premises of the owner without the owner or rightful occupant’s knowledge or consent. This year’s bill put Georgia’s magistrate courts in charge of adjudicating eviction cases, limits the liability law enforcement agencies face for enforcing evictions, imposes restitution on criminal squatters based on the market value of the property they are occupying, and makes forging documents related to squatting a felony punishable by one to five years in prison. Much of Monday’s discussion focused on tenants who are evicted from extended stay motels and the need to make a distinction of tenants from illegal squatters. The bill heads to the Senate Rules Committee to decide whether to bring it to the Senate floor.