A Philadelphia landlord is locked in a legal battle to evict a pair of squatters — and their five children — who illegally broke into her rental home and have refused to leave for over two months.
Naydia Smith, the property’s co-owner, told The Daily Wire that the family forcibly entered the home sometime in April or May. The house, which had been vacant since January while Smith and her business partner considered selling or re-renting it, was trashed and crawling with vermin by the time she found out.
Squatters Caught Living in Filth With Unsupervised Kids
Smith first learned of the situation in June, after her business partner’s parents received an anonymous tip. On June 7, the parents visited the property and filmed a man inside who identified himself as Antonio Stewart. He claimed to have rented the home with a one-page lease dated April 1 — a lease Smith says is fake.
When Smith visited days later, she found the home in “squalor” with beds and clothes strewn across the floor, roaches throughout the property, and five unsupervised children aged 2 to 14.
Fake Leases, Broken Doors, and Bribery Documents
According to Smith, the squatters changed the back door lock and presented police with forged documents — including a gas bill and a phony lease. The electric company confirmed the family had tried to get service restored.
Smith says she also found another fake lease from a different address showing the same couple had previously squatted elsewhere — and were even paid $1,500 to leave by the rightful landlord.
Both fake leases listed different fake rental companies under the same individual, Bryan Pulliam, whom Smith believes is behind a scheme to generate fraudulent leases for squatters.
Police Hands Tied by Legal Loopholes
Despite clear signs of forced entry and trespassing, police refused to arrest the squatters. Instead, they treated the incident as a civil “squatter” issue — not criminal breaking and entering.
“They know exactly how to manipulate the system,” Smith said. “The woman even told me, ‘You know what you have to do — go downtown and evict us.’”
Legal Process Delayed, Financial Damage Grows
Philadelphia law forbids landlords from removing squatters without a court order. Smith filed ejectment paperwork on June 13, but said serving the notice can take up to 30 days, followed by another 20 days for squatters to respond. If they ignore the notice, another 10-day warning must be given before a final decision.
All the while, Smith is losing rental income and racking up repair costs.
“We’re going to have to deep clean, exterminate, and replace things once they’re gone,” she said. “And the legal fees are outrageous — $5,000 for a lawyer to take the case.”
‘Where Is the Arrest Warrant?’
Frustrated, Smith blasted the city and state officials for doing nothing to protect homeowners from illegal intruders.
“Where is the arrest warrant for the people who broke into the home?” she asked. “It’s absolutely ridiculous that people break the law and are then protected for breaking it.”
Neither the Philadelphia mayor, the district councilwoman, nor Pennsylvania’s governor responded to requests for comment.
Now, Smith fears a long court battle ahead just to reclaim what’s rightfully hers.
“I am the rightful owner,” she said, “and I can’t understand why it’s so hard to eject someone who has no right to your home — something you’ve worked so hard for.”
