New York, Dec 27: An Indian-origin man has heaved a sigh of relief after two squatters finally moved out of his New York house, following a legal battle of more than 22 months.

Bobby Chawla had bought the 1,536-square-foot home on Friendly Lane in Jericho in a bank auction in February 2022 but was unable to move in because Barry and Barbara Pollack refused to leave the property, the New York Post reported.

Chawla claims to have shelled out more than $85,000 so far to keep up with taxes, mortgage payments and other bills, while the alleged squatters live in their house.

Barry Pollack, 72, was also caught on video telling Chawla's parents from India to "go back to Pakistan".

The accused squatters had originally bought the house in 1990 for $255,000 but stopped paying their mortgage by 2006 due to financial constraints.

The home ended up in a bank auction after the couple was sued for foreclosure in 2008 and dragged the case out for more than a decade, according to court papers.

The couple then began filing "skeleton" and "frivolous" bankruptcies, seven in total, to stop the bank from taking over the house, records showed.

These filings automatically paused any eviction, which meant that the Pollacks stayed in the New York house without paying the mortgage for nearly two decades.

The latest bankruptcy came last month when movers hired by the Chawlas to empty the home were forced to abandon the effort after Barbara Pollack showed up with bankruptcy paperwork.

"They've fought in three different courts for 17 years to stay in the home -- frequently without regularly paying," The Post report said.

A federal bankruptcy judge barred the Pollacks from further filings last week, and the couple finally left the house on December 22.

"It feels like a Christmas miracle, I can't believe it," Chawla, who paid $762,200 when he bought the home in February 2022, told The New York Post.

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"I did feel a sense of relief. . . . but I won't be satisfied until I have possession of my home. This guy is not to be trusted," he said.

He plans to give the home to Bobby's six-month-pregnant sister and her husband.

(IANS)

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