In its recent Kelo decision, the Supreme Court essentiallyrewrote the Public Use Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Texas Legislature responded and took a step in the right direction, but more must be done to adequately protect Texans’ property rights.
Squatter’s rights do not exist; property rights do.
On May 15, 2024, Texas Public Policy Foundation’s James Quintero testified before the Senate committee on the issue of “squatter’s rights.” McCaw Property Management (n.d., para 1) defines a squatter as “somebody who is living on a land or in a building that is either unoccupied, abandoned, or foreclosed without the legal consent of the...