Long Island resident, who was known for being America’s Most Famous Squatter due to his 23-year absence from paying the mortgage of the home he lived in, has been finally evicted.
Guramrit, 52, locked himself out of his East Meadow home on Friday morning. He has lived there for 20 years and is now a free homeowner with three bedrooms, two-and a half bathrooms.
Hanspal was evicted several times by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department over the years. On Friday, they arrived with movers as well as a locksmith at the home.
After knocking on the Kenmore Street house, no one answered, deputies entered. The movers took about three hours to clear the house and load everything, including a stain couch and stove, into vans.
Guramrit Hanspal, 52, who was living in his home for free for over 20 years, was evicted on Friday morning. His whereabouts are unknown as he wasn’t there.
Hanspal was declared an illegal squatter by a judge on September 11.
Hanspal was foreclosed in 2000 by 3 different homeowners. Since then, they have been trying to get him out of the East Meadow house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Friday morning saw movers arrive at the residence with a locksmith from Nassau County Sheriff’s Department
Moving crews cleared the house and installed new locks.
Diamond Ridge Partners will store everything from the house for 30 days. Diamond Ridge Partners purchased the house in May 2018.
Hanspal may not be currently living in the area.
William Hohauser, a judge at Nassau County Housing Court, ruled on September 14 that the man does not have COVID protections as he is not an illegal squatter but a renter.
Hanspal was brought in by UHaul trucks to be evicted on October 29, but authorities failed to succeed.
The 52-year-old has been tried by three different owners to get him out of his house since Washington Mutual took it over in 2000. But he’s managed to avoid being evicted numerous times.
Hanspal made the move and the tenants of Hanspal’s home filed bankruptcy proceedings as well as other legal actions in an effort to stop the rent payments.
Parmjit Puar, tenant of the house filed an emergency petition last month in his final effort to keep him there. … Please stop eviction for 30 days only,’ according to a legal document.
The hearing was called by Judge Hohauser 19 days after the incident, however Puar failed to show up. Hohauser pointed out that Long Island residents ‘never appeared’ before the court. “There’s an eye that is jaundiced after,” Hohauser stated. [23] years. …I don’t even know if he actually exists.’
Hanspal, along with Bhagwant Shrichawla, made a COVID-19 Hardship declaration in April.
This declaration helps tenants in financial distress during the pandemic, and protects them against being evicted.
Several months later, Srichawla was killed in a crash over the summer when he lost control of his 2008 Subaru Legacy and veered into a tree near Kissena Boulevard, according to the New York Police Department.
The NY Post reports that a lawyer attempted to claim the death of his client in court, asserting that his estate was eligible for protection against eviction.
Hanspal then claimed that he had suffered financial hardship after he was diagnosed by the coronavirus in August. The NY Post reported.
Hanspal was living with tenants on Long Island.
It is currently being sold. The home was originally listed at $399,000 with the requirement of a cash offer.
There are two beds stacked on top of each other, there is no insulation, and clothes all over the place.
The Post reported that Judge Houhauser ruled against Hanspal in his September 14 ruling. He stated that Hanspal is more like a “squatter” than a tenant.
Hohauser stated that the protections provided by COVID would apply to tenants but not those with no financial obligation. He also said that illegally-occupied homes could be considered as occupants in ”sufferance, if not squatters.
Hanspal’s behaviour, which’reflects no payments of all kinds for decades’, Hohauswer stated in his ruling.
Diamond Ridge, a real estate company that currently owns Hanspal’s home, was pleased with the ruling.
Jordan Katz, the firm’s lawyer, stated that they are’very satisfied’ with the Post’s response and said, “We intend to immediately enforce the court order and end this illegal occupation.”
Hanspal bought the home at 2468 Kenmore Street from him for $290,000. According to the NY Post, he only made one mortgage payment, $1,602.37, before defaulting.
Washington Mutual tried boot Hanspal following the 2000 foreclosure. However, he filed two claims for bankruptcy in 2001 and two more in 2002. One in 2003 was also reported by the New York Post.
Hanspal is unclear as to how he was able file so many bankruptcy petitions.
Washington Mutual, one of America’s largest banks collapses in history in 2008 was still an entangled legal dispute between the two parties.
Chase took Washington Mutual assets, including the East Meadow house. Hanspal was evicted by Chase, however, Chase filed three suits against him in Nassau Supreme Court.
Diamond Ridge purchased the Chase home in 2018 and offered Hanspal $20,000 for his departure. Diamond Ridge refused to accept the offer and continued running a legal bill of more than $150,000. He also paid property taxes at minimum $50,000.
Zillow’s listing for the living room shows an apparent blockage of the front door.
Although the formal dining area is covered in kitchenware, the hutch appears to be full of fine china.
The toilet room of the bathroom is another filthy spot. There is trash everywhere and it is covered in dirty clothes.
Hanspal used every loophole possible – Hanspal hired lawyers last minute and drowned the courts with legal action.
After the COVID-19 epidemic, Hanspal was given more time because it clogged New York City’s housing courts due to the lack of cases.
Diamond Ridge assumed control. Chase Bank and Washington Mutual were unable to win the long-running legal battle against Hanspal.
He was able to continue living in the home by leveraging U.S. BankruptcyCode’s automatic Stay’ rules. These allow debtors a temporary reprieve against all harassment, collection attempts, and foreclosures.
Hanspal’s lawyer William Friedman insisted his client was innocent and capitalized on an unsound system.
‘This is the great American legal system … a man can stay in a house with one mortgage payment and he did not do anything illegal in all those 23 years,’ he said.
“He’s the symbol of a failed system,” he said.
“He took advantage the system. He used it. You’re accusing him of being bad because he used the system. That is a lie. … He’s not a bad guy. He is not a good person. He followed the rules. It is broken. Everything about it.
Diamond Ridge is currently being sold. This gave us an inside view of the property.
Zillow lists the house as a pending status. This means the seller and buyer have agreed on a sale but that it hasn’t been closed. Hanspal is not leaving.
Zillow’s listing for $3999,000 noted that a cash offer is required when a property is being sold to a bank as an ‘REO’ (real estate owned by another financial institution).
This home was listed as Diamond Ridge and sold. The Zillow photographs give you a glimpse inside Hanspal’s long-held hold on to it.
The listing photos show that he hasn’t maintained the house well over the 23-years he’s been living there free of charge. Images of the interior reveal a dirty bathroom. The living and dining rooms are cluttered with junk. A basement appears to be cluttered with junk.