Squatters Take Over 1,200 Atlanta Homes; Are Said To Have Transformed A Home Into A Strip Club!

Cousins! Atlanta residents are speaking out following an increasing trend in squatter takeovers!

According to The National Rental Home Council (NRHC) trade group a total of 1,200 homeowners are currently experiencing issues with squatters. It has been indicated that the widespread of squatters has become a less-than-easy task to handle due to a lack of legal resources and police backing.

The New York Post reports that squatting has become more common as listings appearing online along with virtual real estate agents are easier to access. Which allows people the ability to break into vacant properties.

In 2023 an Atlanta neighborhood made major headlines after squatters turned a property into an illegal strip club. Authorities were contacted regarding complaints of weekend parties and housing live horses.

Sources state that DeAnthony Maddox, Jeremy Wheat, Kelvin Hall, and Tarahsjay Forde—were all arrested for illegally occupying the South Fulton located home. They are said to have hosted large parties that disturbed the peace, conducted street races and more.

“They would get live horses. One day they had live horses,” said a neighbor to Atlanta local news station WSB-TV TV2.

A SWAT team ultimately cleared out the home, and recovered stolen cars, a stolen weapon, and stolen credit cards.

“I’d be terrified in Atlanta to lease out one of my properties,” Matt Urbanski, who manages a local home-cleaning company, told Bloomberg.

WSB-TV reports that in a separate incident, army officer Lt. Col. Dahlia Daure discovered convicted criminal Vincent Simon squatting in her $500,000 residence.

After contacting local police she was advised that the issue was a civil matter.

Authorities state that Vincent holds a criminal record for guns, drugs, and theft. Despite numerous efforts, he refused to vacate the house. Firearms and illegal substances were later found in Dahlia’s home after further legal action was taken.

“To find out that this person moved into my home right after I got done renovating — it was very aggravating and I was angry.”