Squatters renting from from squatters

Hot on the heels of the West African “missionary” leasing out a house that isn’t his (and is for sale, not rent) in Ballard (send your check now!), we spotted a story about squatters offering leases on bank-owned (foreclosed) properties they have “colonized.” I like that term. Sounds so much better than “breaking and entering.”

Here’s the deal: they break into the home, then they charge you monthly rent for the new locks they put on the doors. You, dear renter, are now technically a squatter too. You’re just a sucka-squatter who is paying for the privilege. You live in said home, paying rent, until the bank shows up and puts it on the market.

Seems like a nasty scam, but at least someone is home, right? A renter has to be no worse than a bank at doing upkeep on a foreclosure. Presumably they leave the pipes in place.