How Jamison Bachman Got Away With Being a Squatter in Philadelphia

By now, many people have seen the popular Netflix series Worst Roommate Ever. Out of all the stories, it seems that people are most infatuated by the final two-part episode. The story details a man named Jamison Bachman who called himself Jed Creek to help hide his true identity. Bachman was a serial squatter that used his knowledge of Philadelphia squatter rights to take advantage of unsuspecting victims around Philly. Check out our video below and the continued article after to find out how Jamison Bachman was able to get away with being a squatter for so long in Philadelphia.

So, how was Jamison Bachman able to take up tenancy in multiple properties and stay even when he wasn’t welcome? For those outside of the Philadelphia area, this story was quite surprising. If you are familiar with the Philadelphia property market, then the term squatter is something you may be very familiar with. In fact, at Property Buyer Connect, we deal with squatters on a regular basis.

Why Did Jamison Bachman Pick Philadelphia?

As we talked about in two of our previous articles – How To Get Rid of a Squatter Occupied Property and How Does The Eviction Process Work in Philadelphia? , Philly has some pretty specific squatter laws. These laws make Philadelphia somewhat of a haven for serial squatters like Jamison Bachman. Between the ease of establishing residency and the difficulty of finalizing an eviction, you can see why squatters have become somewhat common in Philadelphia.

These laws may seem like they were created to be taken advantage of. However, there are many legitimate cases of tenants being protected by these laws. Also, since no two situations are identical, sometimes laws must be broad enough to cover a large spectrum of possibilities. This, of course, lends itself to characters such as Jed Creek.

As you can see, Philadelphia has created a perfect storm for people looking to take advantage of squatter’s rights. For someone that makes a living doing this, it would pay to become an expert on all of the laws. A serial squatter would know all of the laws as well as the loopholes to exploit. However, as a property owner or someone looking to buy a property, this isn’t the case.

Dealing With a Squatter Occupied Property in Philadelphia

If you are looking to get rid of a squatter, there are many things to consider. First of all, it can be a long and expensive process. There are some options such as offering the squatter cash to help get them settled into a new place. This process is also known as Cash for Keys. Keep in mind, not all squatters are nefarious people looking to take advantage. Some squatters simply may not be able to come up with the cash required for the deposit at a new place.

If a situation with a squatter does require you to go down the eviction route, keep in mind that it can be a long process. There are a few different steps that must be done by the book. The eviction could just wind up taking even longer if certain processes aren’t followed. In addition, COVID-19 did cause longer than usual eviction timelines. Fortunately, it looks as if that may be coming to an end soon.

At Property Buyer Connect, we are familiar with buying properties occupied by a squatter. If you are looking to sell a squatter occupied property, message us online or give us a call today at 215-770-3122! We can help you and even buy your squatter occupied property so you don’t have to deal with it.