A home-owner stopped by to ascertain on his suburban Atlanta property — only to be arrested for trespassing.
Days after the departure of a previous tenant, Tim Arko pulled into the driveway of his house in desirable Decatur, where he suddenly encountered a stranger waving a gun in his face.
“I just jumped the fence and ran. I didn’t know what else to do,” Arko told local channel WSB-TV.
“I didn’t walk in on a family eating dinner. I walked in on weapons, a prostitute, a bunch of dogs within the back, my fence broken down,” he told a reporter.
After dialing 911 to report the intrusion, Arko was astonished to search out himself being arrested and brought into police custody.
“They told the police that I used to be a house invader and that it was their home. And so I ended up being arrested and detained,” Arko said.
Since then, Arko has been fighting to evict the alleged squatters in court.
Six months later, they’re still living in Arko’s home.
Two people have died within the residence from overdoses during that point.
Code enforcement has even cited Arko for not properly maintaining the home he legally can’t access.
After lengthy court delays, an eviction order was finally signed. Arko still awaits marshals, nevertheless, to conduct the eviction.
Arko said he has been informed by marshals that they’re hoping for a September eviction.
“No one likes, you already know, being within the court system, but it surely becomes even worse when it seems broken down,” said John Ernst, Arko’s attorney, told a reporter.
“I feel prefer it’s very heavily weighted towards these trespassers and criminals, not folks that got duped,” Arko said.
Back in May, the same incident occurred in Atlanta, when an Army officer returned to her home to search out a squatter living in her sprawling $500,000 residence while she was away on energetic duty.
Lt. Col. Dahlia Daure told WSB-TV that she got here home to search out a person by the name of Vincent Simon living in her home.
Simon, a person who has been convicted on guns, drugs and theft charges, refused to depart the home.
The unlucky discovery was made as Daure’s real estate agent began making preparations for the sale of the Holly Hill Parkway home.
“I felt violated. Had I not been serving my country, I might have been in my home,” Daure said.
The active-duty officer was told by police they may not evict Simon and that the problem is taken into account a “civil matter.”
“I need to go shoot out the windows, turn off the water, cut wires, but I can’t. That’s a criminal offense. Law-abiding residents can’t try this,” she said.
The 4,300-square-foot sprawling home-turned-squat boasts five bedrooms and five baths.
Before listing the house, Daure had been renting it out. She spent roughly $35,000 on renovations.
