Convicted squatter released from jail, promptly returns to $2.3M Maryland home — now neighbors fear violence

At the center of the controversy is Tamieka Goode, a self-described "pro-se litigation coach," and her partner, Corey Pollard. The couple allegedly moved into a bank-owned, 7,500-square-foot home on Burning Tree Lane in Bethesda, Maryland last summer without permission from anyone who actually owns it. The property, which is tied to Citigroup through a foreclosure, is valued at approximately $2.3 million.

The two were ultimately convicted of trespassing and breaking and entering, among other charges, and sentenced to 90 days in jail. During the proceedings, Judge John C. Moffett told Goode she had "some demented thoughts to justify" squatting. Despite all this, Goode managed to return to the property after posting a $5,000 cash appeal bond. Within hours of her release, security camera footage showed a woman matching Goode's description strolling across the icy driveway of the Bethesda mansion, wearing an outfit similar to the one she'd worn outside the courthouse.

How it all started

Months earlier, Ian Chen, a 19-year-old college student who lives with his parents next door, noticed what appeared to be a forced entry into the vacant property. He called Montgomery County police.

According to Chen, their response was underwhelming. Officers knocked on the door, got no answer, and left. When Chen pressed the issue, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police Department told reporters that, because the occupants had been in the home for more than 30 days, they had "gained residency status," meaning their removal would have to be handled through the courts, not by law enforcement.

So Chen took matters into his own hands. In July 2025, he filed private criminal charges against Goode and Pollard for trespassing and fourth-degree burglary. What followed was nine months of delays, missed court dates, and legal maneuvering that left the neighborhood on edge.

"I was pretty scared," Chen told Spotlight on Maryland. "All of us in our neighborhood were. We have a lot of elderly folks who were afraid to even go to sleep at night."

A dramatic midnight eviction

The story took its most dramatic turn on February 11, when authorities finally moved to clear the property. After Spotlight on Maryland reported that Goode had returned to the mansion following her brief jail stint, activity intensified.

Just before 9:30 p.m. on a Tuesday night, Goode and associates were spotted moving items out of the mansion when multiple Montgomery County sheriff's deputies arrived. Goode was taken into custody and transported to the detention center before midnight.

Through the overnight hours, moving trucks came and went from the property. By Wednesday morning, nearly a dozen deputies, a crew of laborers, and a vacant-property security company had converged on the home. Workers removed hundreds of personal items that had been left behind, including sofas, a piano, a Pac-Man arcade machine, and a movie popcorn maker.

"We're going to put everything out if you're saying it's not supposed to be here," a sheriff's deputy told the property's bank representative.

Squatting a growing problem across America

Goode's case is dramatic, but it is far from unique. Squatting incidents have been on the rise nationwide, fueled in part by a surge of viral social media content that has brought the issue into the spotlight — and, some argue, has provided a playbook for would-be squatters.

A 2024 report from the Pacific Legal Foundation documented a significant increase in squatting incidents across several states (2). Data compiled by property management firm Showdigs, citing Pew Research and the Urban Institute, shows a 22 percent increase in reported squatting cases in 2024, with the average eviction timeline stretching 3 to 6 months and costing property owners between $8,000 and $15,000 in legal fees and lost rent (3). In Georgia, squatting court cases jumped from three in 2017 to 198 in 2023, according to Moneywise's prior reporting — though that data covered only 25 of the state's 159 counties.

The problem has prompted a wave of legislative action. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 621 on March 27, 2024, which allows property owners to file a sworn affidavit and request that sheriffs remove unauthorized occupants — provided the individual is not a current or former tenant in a legal dispute (4). Georgia followed with legislation that criminalizes squatting and allows removal within days if occupants can't produce proof of legal residency. New York, Alabama, Kentucky, Illinois, and Texas have all recently passed or advanced similar measures (5).

Maryland, notably, has not. Delegate Teresa Woorman, a Montgomery County Democrat, told reporters she was unsure whether squatting should even be criminal, a comment that frustrated Chen and his neighbors (6). The Bethesda case, however, may be changing the political calculus. Chen has vowed to press for reforms in Annapolis.

"The squatting is ending today, but the road of holding each and every individual accountable for their actions is only just beginning," Chen said following the eviction. "It will end at the state capital in Annapolis, where I will ask the legislature and Governor Moore to change the laws so it can never happen to a community again."

How to protect yourself from foreclosure

According to a LendingTree analysis of Census Bureau data, roughly 5.6 million housing units across the 50 largest U.S. metro areas were vacant as of 2023 — though the vast majority are rental vacancies, seasonal homes, or properties under renovation. Foreclosures account for roughly 1% or less of vacant units in most major metros (7). Still, homes that do fall into foreclosure and sit empty can become targets for the kind of unauthorized occupation that 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 far more flexibility to work with borrowers who come forward before missing a payment than those who wait until they're months behind.

Forbearance may be an option if you're dealing with a temporary hardship like a job loss, medical emergency, or unexpected expense. Your servicer may agree to reduce or suspend your payments for a set period. You'll need to repay the missed amounts later, but it can provide some breathing room while you stabilize. Under federal rules, servicers are required to review you for loss mitigation options before proceeding with foreclosure.

A loan modification can permanently restructure the terms of your mortgage — extending the loan term, lowering the interest rate, or rolling missed payments into the remaining balance. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's Flex Modification program, for example, targets a 20 percent 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.