Still unsure what counts as squatting? Many are stunned by this $2M home takeover

By Maan

Today at 2:29 PM
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Offtopic / Everything else

Still unsure what counts as squatting? Many are stunned by this $2M home takeover

By Maan
Today at 2:29 PM

Elderly owner battles couple occupying her home. Image source: Pexels/Binyamin Mellish | Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.

Still unsure what counts as squatting? Many are stunned by this $2M home takeover — Elderly owner battles couple occupying her home. Image source: Pexels/Binyamin Mellish | Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.

Two years ago, a luxurious Perth home quietly changed hands—though not in the way its elderly owner expected.

Tensions simmered as neighbours watched a young couple move in and transform the long-abandoned property.

Questions began swirling about who truly had the right to call the $2million residence home.

Schoolteacher Jeremy Hubbard and his singer/songwriter wife Rachel Savage reportedly occupied a 107-year-old house on Keightley Road in Shenton Park after their offer to purchase it was declined.

The couple shared that they had been renting the property from 81-year-old owner Marilyn Watson.

They claimed to have renovated the home at their own expense, citing Google Street View images showing its decay before their arrival.

Ms Watson and her nephew Greg Preston strongly refuted the couple’s claims, saying the owner had never authorised anyone to live there and had never even met them.

'She hasn't authorised anybody to live there at any time and she certainly would never sign a lease for anybody to live there.'

Greg Preston

The house, located in Perth’s affluent ‘golden triangle’, had reportedly been vacant since 2010 after hailstorm damage forced Ms Watson to relocate to Mandurah.

Photos show the home in 2010, 2022 after lying empty for almost 12 years, and 2024 following repairs.

Mr Preston revealed he found a card from Ms Savage in 2022 praising the property and expressing interest in buying it, but insisted his aunt did not want to sell.

Rachel Savage, who has performed in Nashville and Los Angeles, and Mr Hubbard, who teaches at Kings College in Perth, later deleted their social media accounts amid the dispute.

Perth media captured removal vans clearing out the home, suggesting the couple had vacated the property.

Neighbours expressed mixed feelings, questioning why the couple would invest in renovating a house they had no legal right to occupy.

'I don't agree with squatting but at least give them the option to pay rent, especially considering they have made improvements to the clearly derelict condition it was in,' one resident said.

'I don't understand why the owner won't rent the property out. To have a perfectly good house sitting empty, and was clearly rotting away, is terrible in a housing crisis,' another local added.

Criminal Penalties for Unlawful Occupation

Trespassing: Up to 12 months jail and/or $12,000 fine

Breaking and entering: Charges may apply

Immediate eviction: Must leave immediately when asked by owner

Breaking the seal: Opening even an unlocked door can constitute ‘breaking the seal’

Some neighbours noted the couple came from well-off families, enjoying luxury holidays and cars, and described their wedding as lavish.

'This is not a sad case of a poor family with a baby needing a roof over their heads,' a resident said. 'Their wedding was quite a luxury event. They are both affiliated with large Christian churches and he is a regular golfer.'

'This is about taking what's not theirs. That couple have no right to live in this house.'

In Western Australia, squatters’ rights allow a person to claim legal ownership if they occupy a property without permission for at least 12 years.

Jordan van den Lamb, known online as PurplePingers and the founder of S*** Rentals, advocates for squatting in vacant homes.

Did you know?

Squatters’ rights explained In WA, a person can claim ownership after 12 years of occupation without permission.

'Homes are for people to live in, not for people to make money off,' he said.

What This Means For You

A couple moved into a vacant $2million Perth home after their purchase offer was declined, sparking outrage from the elderly owner, Ms Watson, and her nephew, who denied ever authorising anyone to live there.

Despite renovating the home at their own expense, the couple faced public criticism and legal disputes, while neighbours pointed out the striking contrast between their affluent lifestyle and the property’s intended owner. This highlights how quickly situations can spiral when property rights and intentions collide—and why staying informed and vigilant about your own home and legal rights is more important than ever.

https://hhg.com.au/articles/squatters-rights-adverse-possession-laws-in-australia/

https://jjlawyers.com.au/squatters-rights/

https://www.criminaldefencelawyers.com.au/blog/squatters-rights-and-law-in-nsw/

https://www.mondaq.com/australia/re...s-rights-adverse-possession-laws-in-australia

https://australianpropertyupdate.com.au/apu/perths-land-supply-problem-set-to-keep-home-prices-high

https://www.hereproperty.com.au/perth-property-market-predictions-2025/

https://www.apimagazine.com.au/news...-greenfield-land-facing-20-000-home-shortfall

Could a dispute over an empty house reveal deeper tensions in a city struggling with housing shortages?

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