We have previously noted how the left in Philadelphia do not respect people’s property rights, and how no one in the city cannot ever be expected to protect property rights. Naturally, The Philadelphia Inquirer would never report on this story, but the New York Post did:

Philadelphia homeowner is forced to pay $1.2K to get squatters out after cops refused to intervene

By Melissa Koenig | Monday, January 8, 2024 | 2:42 PM EST

A Philadelphia homeowner says he was forced to pay squatters who changed the locks and left the property a mess $1,200 to leave after city officials refused to intervene.

Chris Harte bought the home in northwest Philadelphia, renovated it and attempted to sell it in late 2023.

But on Dec. 8, his real estate agent received a call from a neighbor who reported hearing a commotion coming from the house the night before, Fox News reported.

The neighbor decided to take a look, and saw people moving into the house and taking down a “for sale” sign.

Harte then decided to contact the cops, who told him the people on the premises were attempting to change the locks to the house. But they said because the squatters claimed they were renting out the property, there was nothing they could do.

Well, of course there was nothing that they could do, even though Mr Harte presented all of the documents needed to prove he owned and had insured the residence, and that the most he could do would be to file a complaint with the landlord-tenant office, which would cost $300, and get a judge to order the squatters evicted, something that could take up to a year. Mr Harte said that the police told him that yes, squatters have rights. In any sensible place, Mr Harte should have been able to gather some burly and armed friends, and evicted the squatters themselves, but, of course, Philadelphia is not a sensible place.

The Post has reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department for comment.

In a statement to Fox News, officers would only confirm Harte was made aware of the issue with squatters’ rights and they made no arrests.

How do squatters have any rights at all to someone else’s property?

Eventually, (Bob) Cervone (the realtor who was trying to sell the house for Mr Harte) said, the squatters told him they found another place to live — but they would only vacate the premises if Harte gave them $2,000.

Following some negotiations, Harte was able to get them to settle on a $1,200 payment.

And if they hadn’t taken the money, if they hadn’t agreed to vacate the premises? If they had decided that hey, we can have this place for free for months and months? Mr Harte would have been denied the right to his own property, and the money he had hoped to make when he invested in and renovated the residence.

When he was finally able to get back inside, Harte said the home was “super dirty” with “trash everywhere” but fortunately no damage.

Harte is now speaking out against liberal politicians who allow squatters to have rights.

“It’s absolutely preposterous,” he said. “They’re not helping investors like myself who want to improve the city, want to buy these homes and then fix them up and you know, make the city a safer, better looking area.”

He added that he does not strongly identify with either political party, but noted that Philadelphia is a Democrat-run city and said it seems “pretty obvious” that there is a correlation between such leadership and crime across the country.

Perhaps it’s time for Mr Harte, and other investors in the City of Brotherly Love, to start identifying strongly with a political party, the party that supports property rights, and that party sure isn’t the Democrats.

I have a few (electronic) friends in Philly, friends who are reasonably sensible, but they are Democrats nevertheless, and vote for Democrats that they believe are more moderate than the far left and the idiotic Working Families Party. But there’s a point at which the more moderate Democrats do little more than enable the far left.