The squatters hadn’t paid their mortgage in more than a decade. (Representative pic)
An Indian-origin man in New York witnessed a “Christmas miracle” after two squatters who had taken over his home finally moved out. According to the New York Post, Bobby Chawla, whose family purchased the house 22 months ago in a bank auction, was unable to move in because accused squatters Barry and Barbara Pollack refused to leave. The pair hadn’t paid their mortgage in more than a decade and were even caught on video telling the Chawla family to “go back to Pakistan”.
The Post reported that the Pollacks bought the home in September 1990 for $255,000. However, by 2006 they had some financial trouble and stopped paying their mortgage. Moreover, to stop the bank from taking over the house, the couple began filing “skeleton” and “frivolous” bankruptcies in three different courts. This made the court stay their eviction order for 17 years, meaning the Pollacks stayed in the New York house without paying the mortgage for nearly two decades.
The home finally ended up in a bank auction after the couple was sued for foreclosure in 2008. This case dragged on for 11 years. And to prevent the Pollacks from extending their stay in the house, a federal bankruptcy judge last week barred the Pollacks from further filings. However, even then, the squatters refused to move out until their misuse of the court system was exposed by the New York Post.
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The outlet reported that the pair finally moved out on Friday and the New York house appeared to be vacant.
“It feels like a Christmas Miracle, I can’t believe it,” said Mr Chawla, who cannot officially take over the home without a judge’s approval. “I did feel a sense of relief…but I won’t be satisfied until I have possession of my home. This guy is not to be trusted,” he added, as per the Post.
Separately, Mr Chawla’s lawyer Heath Berger said, “While most debtors are honest and hard-working individuals who are looking for a fresh start in bankruptcy, these debtors are not”. “Hopefully, they have filed their last petition in bankruptcy court,” the lawyer added.
