Neighbors in one of Washington, DC’s most affluent suburbs have spent the better part of a year watching what many describe as a surreal nightmare unfolding right outside their doors — and now millions of Americans are watching, too.
A video report from Fox’s Baltimore Spotlight on Maryland (1) documenting the saga has garnered more than two million views on Facebook alone, drawing thousands of comments from viewers largely outraged by what they see as a broken system.
At the center of the controversy is Tamieka Goode, a “pro-se litigation coach” and her partner, Corey Pollard. The couple allegedly moved into a 7,500-square-foot, bank-owned home on Burning Tree Lane in Bethesda, Md., last summer without the owner’s permission. The property, which is tied to Citigroup in foreclosure, is valued at about $2.3 million.
The two were eventually convicted of breaking and entering, among other charges, and sentenced to 90 days in jail. During the proceedings, Judge John C. Moffett told Goode he had “some insane thoughts to justify” the squat. Despite all of this, Goode was able to return to the property after posting a $5,000 cash bond. Hours after his release, security camera footage showed a woman matching Goode’s description walking down the icy driveway of the Bethesda mansion, wearing an outfit similar to the one she had worn outside the courthouse.
Months ago, Ian Chen, a 19-year-old student who lives with his parents next door, noticed what appeared to be forced entry into the freehold. He called Montgomery County police.
According to Chen, their response was disappointing. The officers knocked on the door, got no answer and left. When Chen pressed the issue, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Police Department told reporters that because the occupants had been in the home for more than 30 days, they had “obtained resident status,” meaning their removal would have to be handled by the courts, not law enforcement.
So Chen took matters into his own hands. In July 2025, he filed private criminal charges against Goode and Pollard for fourth-degree trespassing and burglary. What followed were nine months of delays, missed court dates and legal maneuvers that left the neighborhood on edge.
“I was pretty scared,” Chen told Spotlight on Maryland. “Everyone in our neighborhood was. We have a lot of elderly people who were afraid to even sleep at night.”
The story took its most dramatic turn on February 11, when authorities finally moved to vacate the property. After Spotlight on Maryland reported that Goode had returned to the mansion after her brief stint in prison, the activity intensified.
Just before 9:30 p.m. on a Tuesday evening, Goode and associates were seen moving items from the mansion when several Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies arrived. Goode was taken into custody and transported to the detention center before midnight.
During the night, moving trucks would come and go from the property. By Wednesday morning, nearly a dozen deputies, a crew of workers and a security company for the vacant property were converging on the home. Workers removed hundreds of personal items that were left behind, including sofas, a piano, a Pac-Man arcade machine and a popcorn maker.
“We’ll take it all out if you say it shouldn’t be here,” a sheriff’s deputy told the bank representative of the property.
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Goode’s case is dramatic, but it is far from unique. Squatting incidents have increased nationwide, fueled in part by a surge in viral content on social media that has brought the issue into the spotlight — and, some argue, provided a playbook for would-be squatters.
A 2024 report by the Pacific Legal Foundation documented a significant increase in squatting incidents in several states (2). Data compiled by property management firm Showdigs, citing Pew Research and the Urban Institute, shows a 22% increase in reported squatting cases in 2024, with the average eviction term stretching from 3 to 6 months and costing property owners between $8,000 and $15,000 in legal fees and lost rent (3). In Georgia, squatting lawsuits have risen from three in 2017 to 198 in 2023, according to previous Moneywise reporting — though that data only covered 25 of the state’s 159 counties.
The issue prompted a wave of legislative action. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 621 on March 27, 2024, which allows property owners to file an affidavit and request that sheriffs remove unauthorized occupants—provided the person is not a current or former tenant in a legal dispute (4). Georgia has passed legislation that criminalizes squatting and allows removal within days if squatters cannot show proof of legal residency. New York, Alabama, Kentucky, Illinois, and Texas have recently adopted or advanced similar measures (5).
Maryland, in particular, did not. Delegate Teresa Woorman, a Democrat from Montgomery County, told reporters she wasn’t sure if squatting should even be a crime, a comment that frustrated Chen and his neighbors (6). The Bethesda case, however, may change the political calculus. Chen vowed to push for reforms in Annapolis.
“The occupation ends today, but the road where every person is held accountable for their actions is just beginning,” Chen said after the evacuation. “It will end at the state capitol in Annapolis, where I will ask the Legislature and Governor Moore to change the laws so it can never happen to a community again.”
According to a LendingTree analysis of Census Bureau data, about 5.6 million housing units in the 50 largest U.S. metro areas were vacant in 2023 — though the vast majority are rentals, seasonal homes or properties under renovation. Foreclosures account for about 1% or less of vacant units in most major metropolitan areas (7). Still, homes that fall into foreclosure and sit empty can become targets for the kind of squatting that has kept this Bethesda neighborhood up at night for nearly a year.
If you’re worried about losing your home or know someone who is, the most important thing you can do is act early. Lenders have much more flexibility to work with borrowers who come forward before missing a payment than those who wait until they are several months behind.
Tolerance it may be an option if you are dealing with a temporary hardship such as job loss, medical emergency or unexpected expenses. Your administrator may agree to reduce or suspend your payments for a set period. You’ll have to pay back the lost amounts later, but it can give you some breathing room while you stabilize. Under federal rules, trustees are required to review your loss mitigation options before proceeding with foreclosure.
A loan modification can permanently restructure the terms of your mortgage – extending the term of the loan, lowering the interest rate or transferring missed payments to the remaining balance. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s Flex Modification program, for example, targets a 20% reduction in principal and interest payments for eligible borrowers (8). If you have an FHA, VA or USDA loan, additional specialized options may be available.
Free housing advice is available through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, which maintains a network of approved counseling agencies that can help you understand your options, communicate with your lender, and develop a plan. You can reach one by calling the Homeowner Helpline at (888) 995-HOPE or by visiting HUD’s website (9). Be wary of any company that charges for foreclosure prevention help — that money is almost always better spent on your mortgage.
Know your rights. Except in very specific circumstances, servicers cannot begin foreclosure proceedings until you are more than 120 days past due on your loan. If you have submitted a complete loss mitigation application, your administrator must review it before proceeding. And in many states, you have the right to reinstate your loan — meaning you can stop the foreclosure process by paying the outstanding amount in one lump sum, even after proceedings have begun.
If keeping your home isn’t realistic, selling before foreclosure is almost always better for your finances and credit. If you owe more than the home is worth, a “short sale” — where the lender agrees to accept less than the full balance — may be an option. It’s not ideal, but it’s considerably less damaging than a completed foreclosure, which can stay on your credit report for seven years and make it extremely difficult to qualify for future loans (10).
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We only rely on verified sources and credible third-party reports. For details, see our ethics and editorial guidelines.
Fox Baltimore (1); Pacific Legal Foundation (2); Showdigs (3); Florida State (4); Bill Track 50 (5); Fox Baltimore (6); LendingTree (7); Fannie Mae (8); HUD.gov (9); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (10)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. Offered without warranty of any kind.
