Portland homebuyer finds locks changed, home occupied - Tucson News Now

A Washington man who recently closed on a home in Northeast Portland was shocked to find a family had recently moved in and changed the locks.

Rod Nylund said he learned about the occupants, who he assumes are squatters, last week when a contractor he sent to do work at the home called to tell him it was occupied. Nylund called police and confronted the occupants, but said the officer was unable to do anything about it.

Nylund said his realtor found out the couple had not only changed the locks, but started utility service at the home in their names.

"It's kind of like buying a car and you walk out to get in it and somebody's sitting in there," said Nylund.

Nylund's realtor, Kim Spiess, said the home's previous owner has no idea who is currently living in the home, or how they got there.

Neighbors, who asked not to be identified, said they noticed the couple had recently moved into the home, which is near NE 170th and Glisan, after it had been standing vacant for several months.

Nylund said he has tried to communicate with the occupants, even offering them money to move out, but has had no luck.

"These people are pretty sharp," said Nylund. "They turned the power on 30 days prior to moving into it, and they paid the power bill while the home was vacant."

Gresham police confirmed an officer responded to a call for squatters at the residence, but could not provide details on the outcome of the response.

The home's occupants answered a knock on the door Thursday, but would not comment about the situation.

According to John Henry Hingson, a Portland-area attorney, Nylund will have to go to court to remove the home's current occupants by filing a forcible entry and detainer action.

Nylund said he will be contacting his own attorney to try to claim his property.

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