Removing a Squatter
W.S. 1-21-1402 — an owner's sworn complaint to the sheriff, for someone who was never a tenant
An owner may ask the sheriff or local police to remove at once someone unlawfully occupying the owner's residential dwelling, by a complaint made under penalty of perjury with a copy of the owner's identification.
Who handles this in Wyoming: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Wyoming directory.
- The person unlawfully entered and is staying there.
- The person is not a current or former tenant under any written or oral agreement with the owner, an earlier owner, or their agent.
- The person is not the owner's spouse, child or parent, and does not live with the owner as a couple.
- No lawsuit over the property is pending between them.
Once law enforcement verifies the owner, it gives notice to vacate immediately and puts the owner in possession. The owner may ask an officer to stand by while the locks are changed and the person's belongings are moved to or near the property line.
A person wrongfully removed this way can be put back in possession and recover actual damages, triple the fair rental value for the time they were out, court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
Sources for this section (3)
- W.S. 1-21-1401 — Definitions
- W.S. 1-21-1402 — Limited alternative remedy for removal of unauthorized persons from residential property
- W.S. 1-21-1403 — Vacation of unauthorized persons; cause of action for wrongful removal
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wyoming attorney.