A Long Island man who became known as America's Most Famous Squatter after he went 23 years without paying the mortgage on the house he was living in has finally been evicted.
Guramrit Hanspal, 52, who has been living in his three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath East Meadow home for free for over 20 years was locked out of his home Friday morning.
Nassau County Sheriff's deputies, who have attempted to evict Hanspal several times over the years, arrived at the house before 8 am on Friday with movers and a locksmith.
The deputies knocked on the door and entered the Kenmore Street home when no one replied. Over the course of about three and a half hours, the movers cleared out the contents of the home loading everything from a stained couch and a stove to a child's electric truck into their vans.
Three different owners have tried to kick Guramrit Hanspal, 52, from the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath East Meadow home (pictured) since he was foreclosed upon in 2000
Hanspal (pictured), who was living in his home for free for over 20 years, was evicted on Friday morning. He was not at the home and it is unclear where he has relocated
Everything from the home will be kept in storage, paid for by Diamond Ridge Partners, for 30 days. Diamond Ridge Partners bought the home in May 2018.
It is unclear where Hanspal is currently living.
On September 14, Nassau County Housing Court Judge William Hohauser ruled that he does not qualify for COVID protections because he is an illegal squatter and not a renter.
Authorities attempted to evict Hanspal on October 29 bringing a UHaul truck but he avoided the eviction for the final time.
Three different owners have tried to kick the 52-year-old from the home since he was foreclosed upon by Washington Mutual in 2000 but he has managed to avoid eviction numerous times by drowning each of the three owners in legal actions and perverting the courts' rules to his favor- often skipping court dates.
Following Hanspal's move, the other occupants of the home, whom he rented to, also filed bankruptcy claims and other legal actions to stop paying rent.
In a final attempt to stay in the home, tenant Parmjit Puar filed an emergency claim last month stating he had: 'no place to go. … Please stop eviction for 30 days only,' according to a legal document.
Judge Hohauser held a hearing 19 days later but Puar didn't show. Hohauser noted that the residents of the Long Island home 'never appear' in court. 'There's a jaundiced eye after [23] years. …I don't even know if he actually exists.'
In April Hanspal and another resident, Bhagwant Srichawla, filed COVID-19 Hardship Declaration.
The declaration protects tenants who are struggling financially during the pandemic and prevents them from being evicted.
Several months later, Srichawla was killed in a crash over the summer when he lost control of his 2008 Subaru Legacy and veered into a tree near Kissena Boulevard, according to the New York Police Department.
A lawyer attempted to use the death in court arguing that his estate should qualify for eviction protection, according to the NY Post.
Then in August, Hanspal claimed he suffered financial hardship because he was diagnosed with the coronavirus, the NY Post reported.
Hanspal was living in the Long Island home with other tenants whom he as renting to
The sale of the home is pending. It was listed for $399,000, with a requirement for a 'cash offer
The basement of the home, whose mortgage hasn't been paid since 1998, is a big mess, with at least two mattresses stacked, clothes everywhere and insulation falling from the ceiling
But in his September 14 ruling, Judge Houhauser said that the declaration
