Homeowner ends up in jail after calling police to remove squatter living inside her house

Skip to comments.

Posted on 12/23/2024 11:38:39 AM PST by Morgana

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Clayton County homeowner ended up in jail, charged with criminal trespass after trying to move back into her home occupied by an alleged squatter.

“I spent the night on a mat on a concrete floor in deplorable conditions. While this woman, this squatter slept in my home,” Loletha Hale told Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray.

Clayton County police officers and Sheriff’s deputies were called to the home on Livingston Drive on Dec. 9.

A deputy can be heard on body camera footage telling Hale to look at things from the alleged squatter’s point of view.

“Just think of it from this perspective, though. Everybody isn’t as fortunate as you to have a bed. All the little things, a bed in their house, food in the kitchen,” the deputy said.

But Hale said this all started in August when she found an alleged squatter in the home and called police.

Police cited the alleged squatter, Sakemeyia Johnson, using the new Georgia Squatter Reform Act.

But Clayton County Magistrate Court Judge Latrevia Lates-Johnson ruled that “Sakemeyia Johnson is not a squatter” because she is related to a previously evicted tenant’s partner.

“How can she not be squatting when I’ve never had any type of contract relationship with this person?” Hale said.

In sheriff’s department bodycam video from the scene on Dec. 9, Johnson told responding officers, “I was written a citation saying I was a squatter. But a judge signed an order saying that I wasn’t a squatter.”

That started a multi-month court battle with multiple filings, hearings and appeals. Johnson even filed for bankruptcy, listing Hale as her only creditor.

But on Nov. 18, a magistrate judge issued a final judgment in Hale’s favor.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsbtv.com ...

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.

1 posted on 12/23/2024 11:38:39 AM PST by Morgana

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson