In New York, a guy of Indian descent had a surprising turn of events when two squatters finally left his house, calling it a “Christmas miracle.” Bobby Chawla’s family bought the place in a bank auction almost two years ago, but he couldn’t move in because the accused squatters, Barry and Barbara Pollack, refused to go. They hadn’t paid their mortgage for over ten years and were even caught on video telling Chawla’s family to “go back to Pakistan.”
The Pollacks got the house in 1990 for $255,000 but hit financial trouble in 2006, so they stopped paying the mortgage. To avoid losing the house, they filed questionable bankruptcies in three different courts, delaying their eviction for 17 years. This let them stay in the New York house without paying for nearly two decades.
After a foreclosure lawsuit in 2008, the house finally went up for auction after an 11-year legal battle. Last week, a federal bankruptcy judge stopped the Pollacks from making more filings to prevent them from staying longer. Even with this, the squatters only left after the New York Post exposed their misuse of the court system.
The Post reported that the Pollacks finally moved out on Friday, and the New York house looked empty. Mr. Chawla, who can’t officially take over the home without a judge’s approval, said, “It feels like a Christmas Miracle, I can’t believe it.” He added, “I did feel a sense of relief, but I won’t be satisfied until I have possession of my home. This guy is not to be trusted.”
Mr. Chawla’s lawyer, Heath Berger, said, “Most people going through bankruptcy are honest and hard-working, but these people are not.” He added, “Hopefully, they’ve made their last bankruptcy filing.”
