Property owners in Pennsylvania must follow specific legal steps to remove squatters. Unlawful occupants disrupt property operations and create financial stress. Changing locks or turning off utilities on your own violates state law and leads to civil penalties.
Determine whether the occupant is a trespasser or holdover tenant
You must first determine how the occupant entered the property. A trespasser enters without permission and never signed a lease. A holdover tenant signed a valid lease in the past but refused to leave after it ended.
Pennsylvania processes these situations through different courts. Holdover tenants go through standard eviction in local Magisterial District Court. Unauthorized trespassers require a court action called ejectment in the County Court of Common Pleas.
Establish the appropriate filing requirement for possession
Statutory notice requirements depend entirely on the legal relationship between the owner and occupant. Landlords must deliver formal written notice to quit before filing an eviction action against a holdover tenant.
For pure squatters or trespassers where no lease ever existed, Pennsylvania law does not mandate a pre-filing notice to quit. Instead, property owners may file an action in ejectment directly with the court.
File an ejectment action in court
An ejectment action asks the court for an official order to reclaim your real estate. You must prove that you own the property and that the occupant has no legal right to stay.
The county sheriff must serve the court papers directly to the occupants or post them on the building. Once the court rules in your favor, the court clerk, known as the Prothonotary, issues a writ of possession.
Protect your property investment through formal legal process
Only law enforcement officers may execute a writ of possession to physically clear the property. Trying to remove squatters yourself delays recovery and creates legal liability. It is best to speak with a lawyer that represents real estate investors and commercial property owners in possessory disputes throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.