By Sayre Quevedo

According to spokesman.com a group of squatters have made their home in the garage of an elderly couple, don and Peggy Bain of Spokane Valley, Washington. Weeks before they had been partying it up till all hours of the night that lead to more than one complaint from Skippy’s parents, and multiple disputes ending in vandalism. When Don and Peggy allowed their son, Skippy Ray Davis, to move in to their garage they never imagined they would be inviting a whole gang of squatters to live with them as well. Unfortunately, even after Skippy was arrested and booked on April 1st for drug-related charges his girlfriend and group of friends still did not leave. So finally the police were called in ultimately leading to, the Bain’s surprise, absolutely nothing. When the authorities finally showed up they informed the squatters of their rights, telling them, “you can live here the rest of your life until the court throws you out”. This is essentially true; according to the landlord-tenant act which was enacted in 1972, because Skippy invited the group to live with him a court order is needed to evict them. Now it’s up to the lawyers to duke it out while the basins attempt to stay sane with their new and what they hope to be temporary neighbors. The squatters will be most likely evicted, however where will they go? In the United States there are already so many people living out on the streets. On the other hand the elderly couple deserves to live in peace just as much as the squatters do. So maybe what the two groups need isn’t a court order but a compromise.