-----Original Message-----
From: Lisa Moskow
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2026 3:47 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: City policy about squatters on private property Do we own what we consider to be our private property if a person or persons can inhabit that property without our permission?
As the law and policy exist now, the process to legally remove a trespasser on our property is a long and expensive process. It is possible to get a criminal restraining order if the trespasser is violent or threatens violence, but even though we can apply for a civil restraining order, the law in San Rafael does not allow for the timely removal of a civil trespasser.
According to the San Rafael police department, squatting on private property is extremely common.
One police officer told me that a person who was shown an apartment by a manager entered the unit and refused to leave without ever paying rent or signing a contract—it took the owners months of expensive legal help to get the invader to leave.
I have had a squatter living illegally in a cottage on my property since Jan. 2026. The law insures all kinds of protection for this criminal, but almost no protection for the person whose basic rights are being violated—myself. We hear all about so-called elder abuse laws, yet there isn’t any concern about the fact that the person whose basic rights are being violated is an Do the citizens of San Rafael have any say about the laws which govern us?