PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — It’s almost the exact same story: A bank that owns a home in Upper Marlboro found people living in the home that’s for sale. The realtor who represents them told WUSA9 this has happened two other times to her in just the last few weeks.
“It's happened a dozen times to me in the past two years,” Bonnie Gregorio said.
The house in question is along Edwards Street in Upper Marlboro.
Gregorio is the realtor representing an out-of-state bank to sell this home. She claims another realtor attempted to show the house two weeks ago and was stunned at what she found.
“She called me Sunday night and told me she tried to show the property and that they wouldn't let him in and they were in there smoking,” she said.
Gregorio said she went by with Prince George’s County Police the next day. The people inside presented a lease, but Gregorio said there’s no way it’s valid.
“I have the deed showing that the bank owns the property, but they have a fake lease and they get to stay in the property. They're not asked to leave,” she claimed.
Officers came while we were there, we saw the blinds move, a child’s head appeared at one of the windows, but nobody came to the door when the police knocked.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said realtors and owners need to work closely together during the selling process if the owners are not local to Maryland.
“It is a very simple process to get someone removed from a home that they have no right to occupy,” Braveboy claimed.
Braveboy said only the owner of the home can submit an affidavit or contact police directly if this happens unless a realtor is given power of attorney.
“We've set up a process for the police to contact our office under the circumstances, so that we can, in addition to getting those individuals removed immediately start an investigation into how it occurred in the first place,” Braveboy said.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy says realtors and owners need to work closely together during the selling process if the owners are not local to Maryland.
“It is a very simple process to get someone removed from a home that they have no right to occupy someone,”
Braveboy says only the owner of the home can submit an affidavit or contact police directly if this happens unless a realtor is given power of attorney.
“We've set up a process for the police to contact our office under the circumstances, so that we can, in addition to getting those individuals removed immediately start an investigation into how it occurred in the first place,” Braveboy said.