NM
New Mexico House Bill HB332

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico House Bill HB332 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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2828 HOUSE BILL 332
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3030 TH LEGISLATURE
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4545 2025
4646 INTRODUCED BY
4747 Catherine J. Cullen and Rod Montoya and Jonathan A. Henry
4848 AN ACT
4949 RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES; CRIMINALIZING UNLAWFUL
5050 SQUATTING; PROVIDING PENALTIES; PROVIDING FOR A PROPERTY OWNER
5151 TO RECEIVE DAMAGES FOR INJURY TO PROPERTY OCCURRING IN THE
5252 COURSE OF ANOTHER'S UNLAWFUL SQUATTING; PROVIDING A PROCESS FOR
5353 REMOVING AN ALLEGED UNLAWFUL SQUATTER; ALLOWING AN ALLEGED
5454 UNLAWFUL SQUATTER THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTEST A CITATION FOR
5555 UNLAWFUL SQUATTING; REQUIRING A TRIAL TO DETERMINE PROPERTY
5656 RIGHTS WHERE A PURPORTED PROPERTY OWNER AND AN ALLEGED SQUATTER
5757 CLAIM A RIGHT TO THE SAME REAL PROPERTY; PROVIDING FOR DAMAGES.
5858 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
5959 SECTION 1. A new section of Chapter 30, Article 14 NMSA
6060 1978 is enacted to read:
6161 "[NEW MATERIAL] UNLAWFUL SQUATTING.--
6262 A. A person who enters upon the real property of
6363 .230351.1 underscored material = new
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9090 another and resides on such real property for any period of
9191 time without the knowledge or consent of the property owner,
9292 rightful occupant or authorized representative of the property
9393 owner is guilty of the offense of unlawful squatting.
9494 B. Any person who commits unlawful squatting is
9595 guilty of a fourth degree felony."
9696 SECTION 2. Section 30-14-1.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1979,
9797 Chapter 186, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:
9898 "30-14-1.1. TYPES OF TRESPASS--INJURY TO REALTY--CIVIL
9999 DAMAGES--CIVIL DAMAGES FOR UNLAWFUL SQUATTING .--
100100 A. Any person who enters and remains on the lands
101101 of another after having been requested to leave is guilty of a
102102 misdemeanor.
103103 B. Any person who enters upon the lands of another
104104 when such lands are posted against trespass at every roadway or
105105 apparent way of access is guilty of a misdemeanor.
106106 C. Any person who drives a vehicle upon the lands
107107 of another except through a roadway or other apparent way of
108108 access, when such lands are fenced in any manner, is guilty of
109109 a misdemeanor.
110110 D. In the event any person enters upon the lands of
111111 another without prior permission and injures, damages or
112112 destroys any part of the realty or its improvements, including
113113 buildings, structures, trees, shrubs or other natural features,
114114 [he] that person shall be liable to the owner, lessee or person
115115 .230351.1
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143143 in lawful possession for damages in an amount equal to double
144144 the amount of the appraised value of the damage of the property
145145 injured or destroyed.
146146 E. A person who commits the offense of unlawful
147147 squatting and injures, damages or destroys any part of the
148148 realty or its improvements, including buildings, structures,
149149 trees, shrubs or other natural features, shall be liable to the
150150 property owner, rightful occupant or authorized representative
151151 of the property owner for damages in an amount equal to two
152152 times the amount of the appraised value of the damage of the
153153 property injured or destroyed. "
154154 SECTION 3. A new section of Chapter 31 NMSA 1978 is
155155 enacted to read:
156156 "[NEW MATERIAL] UNLAWFUL SQUATTER--CITATION--CONTESTING A
157157 CITATION.--
158158 A. A person who commits or is accused of committing
159159 the offense of unlawful squatting as provided for in Section 1
160160 of this 2025 act shall receive a citation advising that the
161161 person may present documentation that authorizes the person's
162162 entry on such land or premises to the head of the issuing law
163163 enforcement agency or the head's designee within three business
164164 days of receiving a citation for unlawful squatting. If the
165165 person is unable to provide the documentation required pursuant
166166 to this section, that person shall be subject to arrest for
167167 unlawful squatting pursuant to Section 1 of this 2025 act.
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196196 B. Documentation provided pursuant to Subsection A
197197 of this section may include a validly executed lease or rental
198198 agreement, proof of rental payments or a deed of real property
199199 in the name of the person accused of unlawfully squatting on
200200 the real property at issue.
201201 C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to
202202 prohibit a property owner, rightful occupant or authorized
203203 representative of the owner from shutting off utilities."
204204 SECTION 4. A new section of Chapter 42 NMSA 1978 is
205205 enacted to read:
206206 "[NEW MATERIAL] REMOVAL OF AN UNLAWFUL SQUATTER FROM
207207 POSSESSION OF REAL PROPERTY--AFFIDAVIT--OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT
208208 A COUNTER AFFIDAVIT--TRIAL--DAMAGES.--
209209 A. When a person, the person's agent or the
210210 person's attorney presents an affidavit in writing before an
211211 officer authorized to administer an oath setting forth that the
212212 person claims in good faith the right of possession to real
213213 property and that such real property is in the hands of another
214214 person who is allegedly unlawfully squatting, the law
215215 enforcement officer in the county where the real property is
216216 located, upon receipt of the affidavit, shall present the
217217 affidavit to the person alleged to be unlawfully squatting on
218218 the real property at least three days prior to turning that
219219 person out of possession, unless the person in possession
220220 tenders to the law enforcement officer a counter affidavit
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249249 stating that the person claims, in good faith, a legal right to
250250 possession of the real property. The law enforcement officer
251251 shall turn the alleged unlawful squatter out of possession once
252252 three days have elapsed from the day the affidavit was
253253 exhibited.
254254 B. If the person in possession of the real property
255255 at issue submits a counter affidavit pursuant to Subsection A
256256 of this section, a law enforcement officer shall not turn that
257257 person out of possession of the real property but shall leave
258258 both parties in their respective positions. In such an event,
259259 the law enforcement officer shall return both affidavits to the
260260 office of the clerk of the district court in which the real
261261 property at issue is located for a nonjury trial pursuant to
262262 the laws of this state.
263263 C. If the party in possession submits a counter
264264 affidavit or other documentation at trial, upon the
265265 determination of the district court that the affidavit is not
266266 meritorious based on the preponderance of the evidence, a law
267267 enforcement officer shall turn the person out of possession as
268268 soon as practicable pursuant to a writ of possession.
269269 D. The court may award the plaintiff the fair
270270 market value of rent for the duration of the unlawful
271271 squatter's occupancy and other monetary relief found
272272 appropriate by the court. A party shall have the right to
273273 appeal the decision of the court, and such a decision shall be
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302302 directly appealable but shall not be subject to de novo review
303303 by the New Mexico supreme court.
304304 E. If the court finds a verdict for the plaintiff,
305305 the clerk of the court shall issue a writ of possession
306306 pursuant to Section 42-4-12 NMSA 1978 and shall award the costs
307307 of the proceeding and any other monetary relief awarded by the
308308 court. The plaintiff and the court shall be authorized to
309309 present the final order to law enforcement for investigation or
310310 prosecution."
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