Accused squatter rented out rooms in owner's house | 7 On Your Side Investigates
FLUSHING, Queens (WABC) -- The video of Adele Andaloro's arrest 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," Andaloro said.
When Eyewitness News showed up to interview Andalaro outside her Flushing, Queens home in March, they didn't expect the accused squatter to 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," Andaloro said. "And to what extreme it can actually get, so I'm just grateful for all that support."
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 Andaloro says they're still there.
"The sooner I get them out the better," Andaloro said.
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.
But it's unclear what will happen yet in her case. The new law defines a squatter as someone who doesn't have "title, right or permission of the owner" to be there. It's not clear if that includes people renting out rooms from an accused squatter.
"I've spoken to several attorneys and I actually was ready to begin the eviction process before I heard about the law being passed, so now I'm kind of just waiting it out for a couple of days before I take any action to see if there's anything I can do to shorten the length of the process for me now that the law has been changed," she said.
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 | New York Governor signs new squatter law after 7 On Your Side Investigation
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