Town Supervisor

We have been following the recent growth in stories about squatters in different areas of the country assuming control of properties without an oral or written lease agreement and no invitation from the property owner to be present in the home. New York has experienced some of the most concerning examples of people entering a property and taking control of the home. Clearly the laws in place that pertain to this subject, to the extent the laws exist, are inadequate. Unless it is the intention of government entities to allow people who invade personal property to rival the rightful property owners for control of the property, more legislation is necessary from state governments.

I have asked our Town Attorneys to draft legislation for the Town Board to consider. We now have a draft Local law and accompanying Property Owner Affidavit as we move the process forward with a sense of urgency. I have also asked the Town and County Attorneys to collaborate on this effort allowing both levels of government to benefit from this process. As Chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, I intend to also have legislation for the Board of Supervisors to consider. Many of my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors are actively involved with assessing potential legislative options, due to their concern for their communities and the entire County. Working together I am confident we will have a final result that will protect all Clifton Park and County property owners from the concerning trend of property invasion.

Invading properties is now becoming a structured business endeavor. People are organizing to identify target properties and recruiting people to invade the identified property in a coordinated effort. We will aggressively work toward implementing solid legislation that will withstand challenges to the law that are sure to occur and allow our law enforcement to provide effective enforcement.