Squatters have taken over a dead University of California, Berkeley, professor’s home, and the state is making it impossible for his family to kick them out. Thanks to the Golden State’s policy of legalized property theft, Przemyslaw Jeziorski’s family is fighting a losing battle in the courts.Jeziorski, who was murdered last year, used to rent out his property as an Airbnb. Since the squatters have seized it, they’ve allegedly sold off his personal belongings and caused thousands of dollars in property damage. Jeziorski’s two children, now orphaned, are supposed to inherit the property.In a sane world, the answer would be simple: Call the cops, have the home-jackers removed by force, and sue for damages. Anyone familiar with California’s backward way of doing things, however, knows “sane” is the last word one should use to describe it. Under state law, you only need to claim “squatter’s rights” to receive legal protection from eviction. From there, a long, drawn-out court battle ensues, which can result in the thieves receiving ownership of the property.
For a state so concerned with Native American “land acknowledgement” and apologizing for so-called “stolen land,” you’d think they would be more receptive toward property rights. Instead of colonialists conquering by sword, squatters conquer through the courts. At least the Native Americans were allowed to fight back — California makes it illegal to change the locks or shut off utilities!More than a year after UC Berkeley Haas School of Business professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski was murdered in Greece, his family is engaged in a legal battle against alleged squatters occupying his Berkeley home. (Courtesy of NBC Bay Area; Inset: Courtesy of UC Berkeley)
