New Yorkers Are Being Advised by the Local News to Put Up ‘No Trespassing’ Signs to Stop Squatters from Stealing Their Homes

CHO: “You can you do you can do this, Bill. Look, this was $3.47 at Home Depot. It is a ‘No Trespassing’ sign. You could put this up in your front door, on your property line, somewhere where you can see it from the street. But this is the catch. Take a time stamped picture of the sign. Most iPhones do this automatically.”
RITTER: “Yeah.”
CHO: “Because what you want to prove to police is that the sign was up before the squatters moved in. You know what I mean? So you have to show that time and date stamp, that’s also why video security is so important.”
RITTER: “Yeah.”
CHO: “You can show they broke in, entered illegally and then you have helped take away their squatter rights.”
RITTER: “And we’ve heard from homeowners who use the sign with the camera to get out squatters, so we know it works.”
UNKNOWN FEMALE: “And look a lot of people have second homes, they’ve got property, maybe they’ve inherited something that’s not really right in the town or neighborhood where they live. All of this makes a difference.”
CHO: “Yeah. And that’s when you should ask friends and family, ‘Hey, crews by my house. You know, take a look. See if there’s a car in the driveway and light on or off. And if you see something don’t tell them to confront the people inside because as Dan’s camera showed, that can get really dicey. Just tell them to let you know —“