Members of the military deployed overseas often leave their homes behind for months. For many, the time away makes them a target for squatters who use state and local laws to wrongly establish certain legal residency rights to a property.
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody (D-Fla.) has introduced a new bill, the Servicemember Residence Protection Act, to protect active-duty military personnel from this growing real estate headache. The bill would make it easier to evict those illegally living in houses owned by those in the Armed Forces, and would limit their so-called “squatters rights,” including any established timeframe a squatter could use to claim residency.
The Servicemember Residence Protection Act would amend the federal Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act, which provides financial and legal protections to active-duty military, reservists and National Guard members. It limits, postpones or pauses foreclosures, evictions and vehicle repossessions, as well as civil court cases. It also caps interest rates at 6% on pre-service loans.
“While our service members are deployed overseas, they should be focused on defending our nation and not worried that someone is trying to steal their home,” Moody said in a June 29 statement. “This legislation strengthens protection for military families by preventing squatters from taking advantage of service members while they’re away serving our country.”
Florida Rep. Brian Mast, also a Republican, introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives that passed by unanimous consent.
Military.com reached out to Moody’s office for additional remarks.
The issue is personal for Moody on two fronts. Her eldest son, Brandon, serves in the U.S. Army, while her husband is a former Drug Enforcement Administration officer and deputy chief of the Plant City Police Department in Florida.
“As someone who is part of a military family, I understand the sacrifice our service members and their loved ones make everyday,” Moody explained. “The last thing they should worry about is returning home from deployment and finding their property tied up in costly legal battles.”
Documented Cases of Military Squatting Nationwide
Squatters’ rights differ from state to state. Generally, they allow trespassers to claim legal occupancy or ownership of a property if it is left empty, and they stay there continuously.
For a service member deployed overseas, fighting this in court can be a nightmare. They’re not home to immediately notice the intrusion or handle the legal battle that follows.
In recent years, there have been several documented cases across the country of squatters illegally moving onto the property of service members during deployment.
In March 2025 in Polk County, Fla., media reports detailed the arrest of 11 people for allegedly squatting on a property that belonged to a member of the U.S. Air Force in Lakeland. The squatters allegedly damaged the home, sold the homeowner’s belongings, and used drugs on the property, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
In May 2023, U.S. Army officer Lt. Colonel Dahlia Daure told WSB-TV 2 in Atlanta that a squatter moved into her DeKalb County home while she was serving on active duty. She had trouble evicting the individual, who at the time she disclosed as a squatter rather than a tenant.
Another widely reported case from September 2023 involved a U.S. Army Reserve member in Texas who racked up $50,000 in expenses dealing with a squatter who took over her house during a deployment.
“Our men and women in uniform should not have to fight a legal nightmare just to live in their own homes after serving our country,” Moody said. “This bill is a simple fix to keep squatters out of the homes of our heroes.”
Moody said her bill would supersede state-level squatters’ rights laws to ensure they can never be used to claim the property of men and women serving in the military. It creates an immediate federal exemption for service members, closing loopholes that trespassers can use to take advantage of during military deployments.
“This would protect our servicemen and women across the nation, no matter where their home is,” Moody said. “I want to make sure that when they return from service or another duty station, that time would never count towards any time that would establish any sort of squatters’ rights.”
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