A Texas man bought a home, only to discover that a squatter and a 'pretty big goat' were living there. When he tried to get in months later, the goat attacked his dad.
There are no official nationwide statistics on the number of squatting incidents, but some lawmakers are concerned.
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- A man in Texas purchased a new house only to find a squatter and her goat still living there.
- He bought the San Antonio property for $175,000 from a woman who was about to foreclose.
- Squatting is a concern from some lawmakers, though there are no official nationwide statistics on it.
When Daniel Cabrera purchased a five-bedroom property in San Antonio, he didn't expect to find the previous inhabitant still living there along with her aggressive pet goat.
Cabrera, a professional homebuyer, purchased the property for $175,000 from a woman who was about to foreclose, Fox News reported.
He gave her the cash for the property and secured her an extra 10 days to move out and find a new place, but after those days were up, he couldn't get in touch with her.
When Cabrera showed up to take over the property, he found that it was still being lived in, and an angry goat was protecting the front door.
"I tried approaching the door, and it was a pretty big goat," he told Fox News. "It wasn't friendly either. I couldn't get past the damn goat."
Cabrera had to file for an eviction to get the woman out of the house.
Five months later, he returned to the property with the police, a locksmith, and a removal company but found that the goat was running around inside, Realtor.com reported.
"The goat ran right into the police officer, got him pretty good in the leg, then he nailed my dad, too, " Cabrera told Fox News. "We had animal control come out because the police just didn't know what to do with the goat."
He managed to take control of the property, and the goat was eventually picked up by the previous owner's son, per Realtor.com.
The next day, Cabrera found the previous inhabitant on a mattress in the driveway, he told the outlet.
Cabrera is not the only person dealing with unwanted house guests, with instances of squatting appearing in the news numerous times in recent months.
A couple in New York became embroiled in a legal battle after a squatter moved into their $2 million home before they had a chance to move in themselves.
Another group of squatters lived in a vacant Beverly Hills mansion for five months. The group made money from the home by hosting parties with entry fees of between $500 and $1,500, before the house was transferred back to the previous owner.
Such incidents have prompted backlash from some lawmakers, though there are no official nationwide statistics to show whether squatting is on the rise.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill in March that he said aimed to provide homeowners with "remedies against squatting," as well as increasing penalties on squatters.
"We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida," DeSantis, who previously ran to be the Republican candidate for the 2024 Presidential election, said.
The problem, however, is not unique to the US.
According to The Guardian, the Advisory Service for Squatters, a squatter's rights group in the UK, has seen a rise in the number of inquiries from people considering squatting since the COVID pandemic.
In April, British chef Gordon Ramsay found one of his restaurants occupied by squatters. The group of squatters told Business Insider they wanted to turn the restaurant into a "community space" in one of London's wealthiest areas.