A Kentucky homeowner claims he’s been left homeless after a judge ruled in favor of two friends-turned-squatters who had been living in his garage for months. Daniel Toma, a resident of Louisville’s Valley Station neighborhood, says he offered temporary shelter to Amy Davis and her boyfriend, Tyler Sencuk, after their car broke down, only to find himself forced off his own property.
“I didn’t want to throw them out on the street; I was just trying to be kind,” Toma told local news outlet WAVE. He said Sencuk had been working on his car in Toma’s driveway for days, so he allowed the couple to stay in his garage during the summer. But Toma soon noticed that they were overstaying their welcome, laying out a mattress, changing the garage lock, installing cable, and even receiving mail at his address—all without paying rent.
With no lease agreement and the couple refusing to leave, Toma enlisted the help of his roommates to try to remove them. However, Sencuk allegedly cited squatters’ rights and refused to vacate the property. Toma posted a 30-day eviction notice around Labor Day in an attempt to force them out, but the situation escalated.