Squatters rights: a catchphrase for people sick and tired of landlords … and why one mean-spirited homeowner found herself in handcuffs.


In a now-viral clip, one captured by local New York City news outlet, ABC7 Eyewitness News, Adele Andaloro was arrested for illegal eviction after changing the locks on a home she said she had inherited in Flushing, Queens.



Though Andaloro may have been trying to sell the Big Apple property — one she said was worth roughly $1 million — a group of squatters decided to take over the vacant home, not only moving in back in February but entirely swapping out the front door.


"It's not fair that I, as the homeowner, have to be going through this," Andaloro told the outlet of the experience — one that likely pales in comparison to homelessness.  


"By the time someone does their investigation, their work, and their job, it will be over 30 days and this man will still be in my home," she complained citing the New York City law stating that squatters are granted rights after 30 days of living on the property.


All of this anger came to a head during a recent trip to the empty home, where she found herself face-to-face with one of the alleged squatters taking up residence on the property.


“You shouldn’t be trying to steal my house,” she told a man allegedly on the lease before calling the cops. One man, who said he had been there for two days, was arrested. The other was escorted away from the property.


While the authorities warned her about changing the locks— "I may end up in handcuffs today if a man shows up here and says I have illegally evicted him," she said at the time — the homeowner decided to press forward, only to meet the guy leasing her house.


Despite her demand to “call the police again,” this time, she found herself on the wrong side of the law, getting taken away in handcuffs for illegal eviction.


While it’s unclear who will emerge victorious in the eyes of the law, one thing is certain — we support squatters' rights … and squatters' wrongs.