Moment cops arrest squatter who took over dead man’s Georgia home, changed locks and threw parties after arriving in a U-Haul truck
- George Kalb, 48, was charged with first-degree burglary and theft by conversion
- Police say he changed the locks and hosted guests in Michael Peterson’s home
- Kalb presented an unsigned rental agreement as proof he was staying legally
A squatter who broke into a dead man’s house has been arrested after pulling up in a moving van and attracting the suspicion of neighbors.
George Kalb, 48, was taken into custody by Georgia police on Friday morning and charged with first-degree burglary and theft by conversion.
Neighbors on Goldenwood Court, a quiet cul-de-sac in Powder Springs, were alarmed when they saw a U-Haul truck pull into the driveway of the vacant house two weeks ago.
Homeowner Michael Peterson died in June 2023 after suffering a heart attack. He had no will, and the house has since gone into foreclosure.
Neighbors were startled when they saw Kalb arrive in a moving truck on April 16.
Over the course of the next 10 days, he changed the locks, had guests over and tidied up the yard.
George Kalb, 48, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree burglary and theft by conversion after squatting in a dead man’s empty home
The Powder Springs, Georgia home was left vacant after the owner died and Kalb is alleged to have gained access by prying open a back door
Neighbors were concerned after Kalb showed up on April 16 in a U-Haul van and said he was removing items that the previous owner had left behind
Daryl Huffman was one of the neighbors who were immediately put off by the new arrival.
‘He had these papers and fumbling and going through these papers as though he wanted to show me,’ Huffman told WSB-TV[2].
‘He was saying about potentially moving some stuff out because the previous owner had left some stuff in there.’
As word spread around the community, some neighbors phoned Cobb County police. However, Kalb continued to occupy the house.
Peterson’s daughter-in-law, Brittany, raised the alarm on April 22.
‘As of last week a dangerous career criminal has moved into my father in law’s home in Powder Springs, Georgia as a squatter,’ Brittany wrote on Facebook.
Kalb has a lengthy criminal record consisting of burglary, grand theft and forgery offenses in both Georgia and Florida.
‘We did not pursue ownership of the home following his death and have been unable to do anything beyond filing a police report because we are not the legal owners,’ Brittany explained.
She claimed Kalb posed a risk to a community ‘full of retirees and families’.
‘This has been an absolutely devastating week for our family as Michael owned this home for 30 years and raised all 5 of his children there,’ she said.
Homeowner Michael Peterson, 59, died last June after suffering a heart attack. He had no will and the house at 655 Goldenwood Court went into foreclosure
Cobb County police spoke to him last Tuesday but were unable to remove him, as he presented a ‘generic,’ unsigned rental agreement that had to be investigated by the sheriff’s office
Peterson’s daughter-in-law, Brittany, branded Kalb a ‘career criminal’ and asserted he posed a danger to the quiet community full of families and retirees
Cobb County officers questioned the man last Tuesday, but left without taking him into custody.
Kalb presented documents that ‘appeared to be very generic forms for a rental agreement that was not signed,’ and with a different person listed as the homeowner, according to a police report.
Brittany said police told her there was nothing more they could do, as the case of the fake lease would have to be taken up by the Cobb County Sheriff’s office.
Over the next three days deputies gathered evidence of forced entry into the home, forming the grounds to make an arrest.
Among the exhibits were pry marks on a back door and keys linked to a doorknob Kalb had installed himself, signaling unauthorized access.
The 48-year-old was arrested and charged on April 26. He was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center with bail set at $55,220, according to jail records.
A sign has since been tacked to the front door of 655 Goldenwood Court warning trespassers that they will be prosecuted.
Kalb’s arrest came just days after Governor Brian Kemp signed House Bill 1017[3] into law. The bill establishes the offense of unlawful squatting, defining it as ‘entering and residing on the land or premises of the owner without consent’.
Offenders will be required to provide authorization of consent within three days, and failure to do so will result in an arrest for criminal trespassing.
If documentation is provided, the accused squatter must attend a magistrate court hearing within seven days to prove that the documents are legitimate.
The new law, which goes into effect in July, makes squatting a misdemeanor offense. Intruders could face a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail, or both.
After moving into Peterson’s unoccupied home, Kalb changed the locks, invited guests over and raked leaves in the yard
Under the new law, alleged squatters must provide authorization of consent within three days. Failure to do so will lead to arrest
False swearing and the submission of improper or fraudulent documentation, meanwhile, count as more serious felony charges.
Those who submit fake documents will be subject to fines covering damages, back rent based on the property’s fair market value and up to a year in jail.
Representative Matt Reeves, the bill’s co-sponsor, claimed it would put an end to squatters ‘stealing the American dream of homeownership’.
Brittany herself is a proponent of the new law and has advocated for it extensively on social media.
‘It’s a really sad situation for my whole family,’ she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution[4].
‘Before, you could come in and live somewhere for free and get a slap on the wrist. They’re going to have a lot harder time and a lot bigger consequences just due to the new law.’
Friday’s arrest is just Kalb’s latest run-in with the law. He was arrested for driving on a suspended license in February and released the same day after posting bail.
References
- ^ Mackenzie Tatananni For Dailymail.Com (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ WSB-TV (www.wsbtv.com)
- ^ House Bill 1017 (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Atlanta Journal-Constitution (www.ajc.com)
- ^ Georgia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ iPhone (www.dailymail.co.uk)