Queens DA clears out squatter house after 7 On Your Side Investigates report
FLUSHING, Queens (WABC) -- Over the weekend, officers removed the people who were paying an accused squatter to rent rooms in a Flushing, Queens home.
The homeowner, Adele Andaloro, said her home is now empty. Shortly after the Queens DA office showed up to clear out the house, Andaloro had a locksmith show up to change the locks.
Andaloro told 7 On Your Side Investigates she's now working to clean the home and get it back to normal.
"I'm so grateful first and foremost to 7 On Your Side for everything you guys did for us," said Andaloro. "Had you not shown a light on us and told our story the way you did I really don't think people would be listening the way they are now," she said.
The video of Adele Andaloro's arrest back in March that was captured by the 7 On Your Side Investigators has been seen around the world.
"Never knowing it was going to get to that extreme but if it took that to get to here, I'm okay with that," said Andaloro.
When Eyewitness News showed up to interview Andalaro outside her Flushing Queens home in March, they didn't expect the accused squatter show up or that she'd be put in handcuffs for changing the locks.
The charges were later dropped and the Queens District Attorney then arrested and charged the man accused of squatting in her home.
"I've just gotten so many phone calls, so many emails from people just letting me know that people thanking me for putting it out there and letting the people know that this is happening every day," said Andaloro. "And to what extreme it can actually get, so I'm just grateful for all that support," she said.
But even though prosecutors charged the man accused of squatting and ordered him not to return to the home, they say he rented out rooms to other people and they were still there as of this past Friday until police removed them.
Since her arrest, lawmakers changed state law giving police more authority to remove squatters who don't have a legal right to be there, instead of taking them to housing court.
"I'm over the moon about the change in the law," she said.
The new law defines a squatter as someone who doesn't have "title, right or permission of the owner" to be there.
The accused squatter who was charged says he's innocent. He claims he signed what turned out to be a "bogus lease" from an unnamed broker. He'll be back in court next month.
ALSO READ | Accused squatter rented out rooms in owner's house | 7 On Your Side Investigates
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