Squatter, 37, found guilty of illegally taking ownership of $700,000 PCB condo

PANAMA CITY BEACH — A squatter who illegally took over a local condo is facing time in prison.

In a press release on Wednesday, the State Attorney's Office of the 14th Judicial Circuit announced that 37-year-old Olandis Hobbs was found guilty on Tuesday of using false documents to take ownership of a $700,000 condo in the Panama City Beach area.

According to the release, Hobbs was convicted of grant theft over $100,000, fraudulent use of personal identification information, unlawful filing of false documents or records against real property, uttering a forgery and forgery. He will remain jailed pending sentencing.

"(Hobbs) is a dangerous man," prosecutor Josh James said in the release. "This conviction is more than a win for the victims. He committed similar acts in other places, like New York, and was sued by never arrested. That many be acceptable in other places, but when he did it in Bay County, he was arrested and held accountable."

The condo is legally owned by an 85-year-old woman and her children.

During the trial, nine witnesses were called to testify. They presented evidence that showed Hobbs filed fraudulent paperwork in late 2022 with the Bay County Clerk of Circuit Court to transfer ownership of the condo to himself.

"His incarceration will protect all Bay County residents from falling victim to his cons and send a message to other like-minded fraudsters," James said in the release. "If you come to Bay County and attempt to cheat our citizens out of their hard-earned property, you will be arrested, we will take you to trial and you will go to prison."

The release notes that after fraudulently assuming the condo, Hobbs changed its locks and notified condo management officials that there had been a change in ownership. The legal owners, who live out of state, were notified of the changes by a maid.

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The Panama City Beach Police Department served a search warrant and arrested Hobbs on Jan. 13, 2023.

"Event though (Hobbs) has been in custody since his arrest, he remained the listed owner of the property pending civil litigation and the outcome of the criminal case," the release reads. "The victims had to continue to pay the monthly HOA fees to keep the unit safe, as well as the property taxes.

"They also were unable to obtain property insurance on the unit since it wasn't in their name, leaving it at risk the entire 2023 hurricane season."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Squatter, 37, found guilty of illegally taking ownership of $700,000 PCB condo