A pair of squatters in Long Island who were known for their luxury ride, a Porsche, have been ordered by a judge to vacate an abandoned house they illegally occupied.
Denton Gayle and Margaret Grover are the squatters in question who were living in an abandoned home in New Hyde Park, Long Island. Their case is peculiar because they drove around in a Porsche while living in a house they didn’t own.
The squatters managed to mislead a Nassau County judge initially, claiming that they were legally living in the house, rented from a certain Edward Iacono. They alleged that Iacono had illegally evicted them from the Cape Cod-style home.
However, it was later revealed that the alleged landlord, Edward Iacono, had passed away in 2016 and his son, bearing the same name, along with his wife and another son, all passed away by 2018. This left the house abandoned and in a prolonged foreclosure proceeding.
The squatters’ claim was eventually debunked, leading to Nassau County District Court Judge Christopher Coschignano reversing his decision. He ordered Gayle and Grover to immediately evacuate the property.
Grover, at a hearing, insisted that she had paid $20,000 to Iacono. However, when she failed to provide proof, Judge Coschignano said, “That’s because Edward’s dead.”
Despite the clear verdict, the couple has appealed against it. They have argued that neither the neighbors nor the town has legal standing to have them evicted.
As of now, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office has not yet received a warrant to evict the pair.
The house in question has been in foreclosure since 2013. The foreclosure process has been stuck in the state court for years. Wells Fargo transferred the mortgage to US Bank Trust in 2021. The house remained vacant for a decade until Gayle and Grover appeared there in August with their 2013 Porsche Cayenne, along with a baby and a dog.
The Town of North Hempstead has given the bank 90 days to finish the foreclosure, failing which they will take over the property under the state’s Zombie housing law.
To prevent such incidents in the future, the town has agreed to pay for the commercial movers and 30 days of storage required before an eviction can proceed. The cost of this could be $2,500 or more, according to a town spokesman.
IMG SOURCE: NYPOST.com