The squatter who kept more than a dozen emaciated cats and dogs trapped inside a Queens home had turned it into a stomach-turning house of horrors, according to police and a tour of the site by The Post.
Cory Elder, 43, kept the house in the Rockaways packed with poop, junk, drugs and even pornographic pics, before he was arrested Monday and charged with animal neglect, torturing and injuring animals, drug possession and possession of stolen property, police said.
Cops believe at least some of the starved animals were stolen, along with a collection of license plates from various states and other items — which were eyeballed by The Post during a tour of the house.
“I went away, I came back and he was here,” said the homeowner, who asked not to be named. “He broke in through this window in May and he brought his girlfriend, two kids and 13 dogs. He’s been terrorizing the whole neighborhood.
“There is dog poop all over the floor,” she said. “It is sickening. Every step you take is poop.”
The homeowner said she returned from her five-day Memorial Day vacation to find one of the apartments in her duplex home transformed into a nightmare, with a crew of uninvited guests holed up inside.
On Wednesday, there was a layer of poop in the basement alongside a stack of trash, and so much junk piled up throughout the unit that it was difficult to get around. The squatter had also ripped out security cameras and cut the electricity to the adjoining apartment, making it essentially uninhabitable in winter, according to the owner.
There were also scattered car parts in the living room — including the hood of a vehicle — clothes with the tags still on them and car license plates from Texas, Georgia, Maryland, Arkansas and elsewhere scattered throughout.
“The first day I came back I saw a car in my backyard and the backyard is not a driveway,” the homeowner said. “We called 911 and when they showed up, we approached the property with the police.
“He wasn’t here but his girlfriend was. She lied to the police and said, ‘I’ve been living here for three months,” she said. “I had only been away for five days.”
But the alleged lie was enough to throw the homeowner into a legal tangle — under city law individuals can claim residency if they occupy a property for at least 30 days, making them hard to dislodge.
One neighbor said they called 311 six weeks ago to complain about animal neglect after some of the dogs were tied up on the front porch and left unattended.
What you need to know about squatters in New York:
What are squatter’s rights in New York?
Squatters in New York state can claim a legal right to remain on a property without the owner’s permission after 10 years of living there. However, in New York City, a person only needs to be on the property for 30 days to claim squatter’s rights.
Why is it so hard to get rid of a squatter?
Squatters are allowed a wide range of rights once they have established legal occupancy, making it difficult to evict them.
How does someone become a squatter?
Some of the scenarios in which a person becomes a squatter include: a tenant refusing to pay rent, a relative of a former owner refusing to leave the property or even a stranger who entered the property and never left.
According to Manhattan-based law firm Nadel & Ciarlo, squatters must have a reasonable basis for claiming the property belongs to them and must treat the home as if they were an owner — such as doing yard work or making repairs.
How can a property owner get rid of a squatter?
A property owner must first send a 10-day eviction notice and then file a court complaint if the order is ignored. If approved by a judge, the owner can get a summons and have a sheriff evict the squatter.
Why does the law provide squatters with rights?
The law was designed to help prevent long-term tenants from getting evicted. New York City’s law was partially made in response to vacant and abandoned buildings that were becoming a blight on the city.
How can property owners protect themselves from squatters?
Owners should avoid keeping any properties vacant for an extended period of time. They should also make sure the building is secure, has adequate lighting and has surveillance cameras installed.
If a squatter does appear, owners should notify the police quickly before squatter’s rights are established.
“There was incessant barking but it sounded more like crying or yelping,” said the neighbor, who did not want to be identified. “We only ever saw three dogs but they looked completely emaciated. He tied them up on the porch outside the front door one day.
“They always stayed inside the house and the music was loud at night, like they were having parties.”
The homeowner said she had to hire a lawyer and took the case to court after an eviction order was ignored, only catching a break when Elder was picked up by the cops and charged this week.
With repairs now underway, she still fears the headache isn’t entirely over.
“I feel vindicated now that he’s gone,” she added. “[But] I’m worried he’s coming back for vengeance.”
Meanwhile, the NYPD sent out an alert trying to identify the owners of the emaciated dogs found inside the home, many of which are believe to have been stolen, police said.
