Florida Homeowner Nears Foreclosure As Squatter Lives Rent-Free, ‘It’s Deceitful, It’s Hurtful’

A Florida homeowner trying to sell her Winter Haven house is now facing foreclosure after a squatter moved in and has been living there rent-free.

A Florida mother is now facing foreclosure after listing her home for sale and getting duped by a man who’s been living there rent-free.

Charlotte Brown attempted to sell her Winter Haven, Florida, home after falling into financial hardship following her husband’s illness, WFTV reports. But instead of closing a sale, her property has been taken over by a stranger who has lived there rent-free for more than a year.

“It’s terrible… It’s deceitful, it’s hurtful,” Brown said.

Brown purchased the Winter Haven, Florida, home in 2021, drawn to the wooded lot as the ideal spot for her family. When her fiancé’s health declined, she became his full-time caretaker, straining their finances. To avoid falling further behind on mortgage and HOA payments, she listed the home for sale in 2023.

“I just had the opportunity to sell. So, that was definitely a plus, especially with the increase in, you know, the market,” she explained.

Brown soon found a prospective buyer, Obed Torres, a real estate agent from California. A company assisting Torres requested the keys to clean the carpets before his move-in, but that’s when trouble began. Torres switched title companies multiple times, and the sale never closed. By spring 2024, he had moved in anyway and has been living there rent-free ever since.

Brown filed reports with the sheriff as well as two court cases to evict Torres, but missed hearings, and both cases were dismissed. Torres claimed he was acting in good faith and said the property was abandoned. Texts show he once agreed to move out, yet as recently as April 2024, he asked the judge for an extension due to health issues.

Investigators observed and heard signs that he was living there, and neighbors confirm he and his family remain in the home. Meanwhile, Brown’s mortgage company has filed for foreclosure as she can’t keep up with payments while living elsewhere. She said she is “absolutely” afraid that she could lose her house.

Attorney Mark Lippman, who reviewed Torres’s living rent-free for over a year, agreed to represent Brown pro bono.

“His answer was garbage. So, the fact that he said that she had abandoned the property is incorrect,” Lippman said.

Florida’s recently strengthened anti-squatting law (HB 621) could help Brown. The law allows law enforcement to act faster, treating illegal occupants as criminal trespassers rather than tenants. Lippman believes this tougher statute may give Brown the legal leverage to prove Torres is living in her home without permission and reclaim it.

“If you can show that somebody’s squatting, they can actually be arrested. It is a criminal offense in Florida now. So, we are looking at that as well,” Lippman said.

Brown’s foreclosure hearing is scheduled for January, though she hopes to have the squatter removed before then. Lippman advises homeowners to prevent similar situations by never giving keys before a sale closes, attending every court hearing, keeping detailed records of all interactions during a home sale, and verifying title transfers through trusted companies.