Homeowner Shocked to Learn She's a Squatter

A Mississippi woman owes more than $19,000 towards her own home after unknowingly signing off a deed that essentially made her a squatter in her own property.

Stories of squatters have escalated in recent weeks across the U.S., with polling commissioned by Newsweek showing Americans galvanizing against the issue. Pervasive legal incidents have even drawn attention from the Biden administration, which earlier this month said it was "critical that local governments take action" to address the ongoing issue.

According to a survey conducted exclusively for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, seven in 10 Americans say that squatters, defined as individuals who occupy a property they don't own and then live there without consent or paying rent, should under law be described as "trespassers" rather than as a subcategory of tenants. Another 61 percent oppose the concept of squatters' rights in general, while 66 percent of people who believe a current law in New York is too lenient believe squatters should "never" be given rights, no matter how long they have inhabited a property.

The case of Marcia Naylor from Olive Branch, Mississippi, is a bit different. She told local CBS affiliate WREG she was forcefully removed from her own home and must pay towards it.

"[A judge] upholds that [quitclaim deed] document and tells me I have to be out of my home and that I've been squatting in my home for I don't know how long," said Naylor, who is reportedly now renting a home with her two grandchildren.

She reportedly lost her husband recently and had difficulty paying bills while also looking after two grandkids.

A family member recently introduced her to a company that said it could help in her time of need, but it didn't turn out that way.

"[The company said they] would borrow money against my house to give me wiggle room," Naylor said. "I didn't sign anything. He asked me to share with him a copy of the deed of trust to my home."

Not long thereafter, she said she was forced to exit her own home due to a judge obtaining a quitclaim deed for her house.

A quitclaim deed is a legal document and swift way to transfer ownership, releasing a person's interest in a property without stating the nature of the person's interest or rights. There are no warranties of that person's interest or rights in the property.

In Mississippi, a new owner receives whatever title the transferor holds in the property, though this does not guarantee that he or she actually has a valid interest to transfer.

"Quitclaim deeds are meant to be an easy way to legally transfer home ownership to someone else, but scammers are using them to steal property from the rightful owner," the Better Business Bureau (BBB) told WREG. "One common tactic is someone contacts you and offers to help modify your mortgage and lower your payments.

"But first, you need to sign a few legal documents. If you do, you may be signing something that transfers the title of your home to the scammer."

Newsweek reached out to the BBB via email for comment.

They offered tips to avoid a situation like the one Naylor is in, including checking property records and monitoring credit. Most importantly, never transfer property ownership to a mortgage assistance company.