![\"Squatter-prevention-bill-signed-compressed\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Squatter-prevention-bill-signed-compressed.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto: <\/span>Senator Hans Zeiger<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Under current Washington state law, if you arrive home from a long trip and find people squatting in your house, you may not be able to get them to leave without taking the matter to court. If the police can’t easily determine that there was a break-in and if the strangers claim that they have a right to live there, the matter must be decided in a civil eviction court case<\/p>\n \u201cSquatters have become a huge issue in our neighborhoods and communities,\u201d state Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, said in a <\/span>news release<\/span><\/a>. \u201cLandlords and property owners have had only one course of action through the civil eviction process to remove squatters. This action wasn\u2019t enough to get unauthorized people to leave private property.”<\/span><\/p>\n When <\/span>Senate Bill 5388<\/span><\/a>, sponsored by Sen. Hans Zeiger, R-Puyallup, goes into effect across the state, property owners and law enforcement will have a new course of action. Under penalty of perjury, property owners can now sign a form stating that squatters have never been allowed to live on the property, have not been a tenant or on the title for at least a year, and don\u2019t meet other legal defenses to trespassing.<\/span><\/p>\n