Squatters: The latest real-estate menace

When he moved in, David Dobbs did the same things most people would do when they set up in a new house. He unpacked his belongings, hooked up cable, transferred utilities, filled the swimming pool and watered the lawn, which was withering under the hot California sunshine.

“It was like he had just moved in and was a proud new owner,” says Prudential California real-estate agent Tom Tennant, who listed the Corona, Calif., property.

The problem was, Dobbs had no right to move into the house: He was a squatter…Please click here to read Melinda Fulmer’s story in MSN Real Estate.