A Washington, D.C. homeowner is describing her property as a "drug haven" due to squatters who have occupied her building for eight months, leading to a protracted legal dispute and safety concerns for other residents.
Tatyana Day Velasquez, who owns a three-unit building in Columbia Heights, told Fox News Digital that her basement apartment has become overrun by individuals who refuse to leave and live rent-free. She described the situation as a "Fourth World country" with a lack of accountability from city officials.
Photos and videos reportedly show the apartment in disarray, littered with drug paraphernalia including needles, pipes, Narcan, fentanyl test strips, a machete, and guns. Velasquez stated that the occupants are not paying rent and suspects they are involved in drug dealing.
The legal battle has reached D.C. Superior Court, where Velasquez is seeking to regain possession of the apartment. Court documents indicate that the individuals occupied the unit after the previous tenant moved out, with one occupant claiming to have received a key. However, the lease prohibits unauthorized occupants and drug-related criminal activity.
Safety concerns have led at least three tenants to vacate the building, with one reporting that they no longer feel safe enough to sleep there. Velasquez argues that the occupants are trespassers, as they were never approved and are not paying rent.
Police reports suggest a more complex situation, with one report stating that an occupant had "established residency" by living with a tenant on the lease, thus precluding immediate removal. The Metropolitan Police Department treated it as a landlord-tenant dispute, making no arrests. D.C. law generally requires property owners to go through the D.C. Superior Court for evictions, a process that can take months. The Office of the Tenant Advocate notes that occupants must have an opportunity to challenge eviction claims in court.
Velasquez is incurring costs, including property taxes and trash violation fees, while receiving no income from the unit. She has been confronting the alleged squatters daily due to a perceived lack of assistance from authorities, reporting multiple physical confrontations.
A D.C. police spokesperson explained that the department's authority is limited once residency is established. While officers can investigate crimes and make arrests, they cannot remove an individual considered an established resident. Evictions and possession disputes are handled by D.C. Superior Court, with the U.S. Marshals executing court-ordered evictions. The spokesperson indicated that legislative changes would need to come from the D.C. Council.
John Gibbs, Director of the Institute for Economic Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation, described squatting as a "property-rights enforcement problem." He suggested solutions include expedited removal procedures, stronger anti-fraud penalties, faster courts, and clearer law enforcement authority, arguing that recent years have seen an imbalance where occupants' rights are prioritized over property owners' rights. Gibbs cited COVID-era eviction moratoriums, a reluctance to treat unauthorized occupancy as a property-rights issue, and changes in policing as contributing factors. He also noted that social media has facilitated the spread of tactics used by squatters.
Recently, U.S. Marshals served an eviction notice at the property, and one occupant was arrested for violating a protective order. However, Velasquez stated that the individuals have returned, and her protective order was dismissed due to clerical errors.
Velasquez expressed frustration, stating that small landlords cannot survive in D.C. and that the city appears indifferent to their struggles. The D.C. mayor's office declined to comment on the matter.