Kudos are due to lefty state Sen. John Liu and Assemblyman Ron Kim for seeing the light on squatters.
But can New Yorkers trust them fully?
The pair of Queens Democrats have introduced bills to legally define squatters as people who enter properties without the owners’ permission, and to ensure that the rights of tenancy New York City so insanely affords people after 30 days of possession don’t apply to such folks.
The move comes after a series of high-profile nightmares plaguing Queens, in which thugs and criminals took over properties and even began subletting them.
That’s as the rightful owners were dragged through the court or even arrested for trying to get rid of the criminals stealing their properties, as happened to Adele Andaloro in March.
Their efforts join a cluster of other bills around the issue, including a trailblazing package from state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-LI).
Mattera’s salvo would not only make clear who squatters are but explicitly criminalize the act and provide speedy ways for homeowners to get them out with zero court involvement.
That’s the correct response to the issue.
Yes, Kim and Liu are dead on rhetorically.
“Criminals looking to exploit property owners do not enjoy the same rights as tenants and will be brought to justice,” thundered Kim in a press conference.
Liu added, “People who intrude into others’ homes should not have rights in state housing law” and that lawmakers should “continue examining even stronger measures to protect homeowners.”
So a hearty good work is in order.
But Kim jumped on the police-defunding bandwagon in 2020 (though he’s changed his tune of late, again responding to his constituents’ concerns).
And Liu is a longtime bad actor, a bought-and-paid-for shill for the teachers’ union, and an enemy of public school families.
We hope Kim and Liu can get their Dem colleagues on board their bill, or better yet Mattera’s.
But we fear most progressives won’t join the drive for common sense on squatters, just as they refuse to embrace those Dem lawmakers seeking modest criminal justice reforms to stomp out serial shoplifting and protect retail workers.
A few progressives showing sanity on this or that issue will never be enough: New Yorkers need to start rejecting these radicals wholesale, or the madness will continue to rule.
