DC Landlord’s 8-Month Fight to Evict Squatters Exposes Legal Gridlock
Tatyana Day Velasquez, a Washington, D.C., property owner, has spent eight months attempting to reclaim her Columbia Heights basement unit from unauthorized occupants. She describes the space as a 'drug haven' filled with needles, firearms, and a machete, noting that the occupants generate income through drug dealing while paying no rent. The dispute has stalled in D.C. Superior Court, with Velasquez facing ongoing property taxes and trash violations despite generating no income. Three other tenants have fled the building due to safety concerns. Velasquez has been physically assaulted while confronting the occupants, and her protective order was dismissed due to clerical errors. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) declined to make arrests, citing 'established residency' by one occupant, treating the issue as a landlord-tenant dispute rather than a criminal matter. Legal experts and Velasquez argue that current D.C. laws disproportionately burden property owners, while the city’s Office of the Tenant Advocate maintains that occupants must be given a court opportunity to challenge eviction claims.