A property owner was surprisingly arrested for trespassing while visiting his own house in suburban Atlanta.
Shortly after his last tenant moved out, Tim Arko drove to his Decatur home, only to be confronted by an unknown individual brandishing a firearm.
Arko explained to WSB-TV, “I immediately ran after scaling the fence. There wasn’t a peaceful family dinner I interrupted. Instead, I found weapons, a person likely involved in illegal activities, several dogs, and a destroyed fence.”
Shockingly, after calling 911 to alert them of the invaders, the police arrested Arko.
“The intruders claimed I was the intruder and that they owned the place, leading to my arrest,” Arko recounted.
Arko has been engaged in a legal battle to remove these unauthorized occupants from his house. Disturbingly, even after six months, they still reside there. In this period, two individuals have fatally overdosed in the property.
Local authorities have even penalized Arko for the house’s upkeep, despite his inability to enter it.
At last, an eviction notice has been issued, and Arko is waiting for the enforcement officers to execute it. He has been told that they’re aiming for a September eviction.
“It’s frustrating dealing with the courts, especially when it feels dysfunctional,” Arko’s lawyer, John Ernst, commented.
Arko lamented, “It feels the system favors lawbreakers over victims like me.”
A similar situation unfolded in Atlanta in May. Lt. Col. Dahlia Daure, an Army officer, found an unauthorized person, Vincent Simon, living in her $500,000 home upon returning from service. Simon, with a criminal background, refused to vacate.
The revelation came when Daure’s agent started readying her Holly Hill Parkway property for sale.
Daure expressed her feelings to WSB-TV, saying, “It’s a breach of my personal space. If I wasn’t on duty, I would’ve been home.”
Police informed the officer that evicting Simon was a civil issue.
Daure voiced her frustration, “I wish I could take drastic actions, like damaging the property to reclaim it, but I’m bound by the law.”
The expansive 4,300-square-foot home features five bedrooms and five bathrooms. Prior to selling, Daure had been leasing it and had invested around $35,000 in refurbishments.
