After being plagued by arsons at abandoned buildings, a group of Detroit neighbors put out the call for squatters to live in a vacant house.
Now one couple is moving in, but they say don’t call them squatters.
“I prefer to be called an appointed preserver,” said Theodore Washington III.
He says after hearing the story of a family facing foreclosure that moved out of their home, he and his husband didn’t just move in.
They reached out to that family and asked for the keys. They family was grateful to find a couple they believed would preserve the property in good condition.
City workers showed up to check them out, having heard about a request for squatters. The city has been cracking down on squatting.
City workers say it appears James and Theodore are not doing anything illegal, because they obtained permission to live there from people with current ownership rights, put utilities in their name, and have agreed to pay taxes until the bank moves forward with foreclosure.
