Heather Ruybal finally found out her fate when she stood before a judge on Aug. 31, 2026. The Texas woman had been charged with felony fraud as a nearly lifelong squatter, racking up dozens of evictions and thousands of dollars’ worth of property damage over the years.
According to the New York Post, it all came to a head in July when she was found guilty of the crimes, which stemmed from a 2023 incident where she wrote a bad check and used a fake name to lease a house. The judge was also able to take a 2018 conviction into consideration during sentencing, which led to much harsher punishment.
In the end, Ruybal was hit with the maximum sentence, as well as a hefty restitution payment, which adds up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Whether that feels like justice to the couple Ruybal was convicted of defrauding remains to be seen, especially considering everything they lost as a result of her crimes.
Convicted Squatter Lived Rent-Free at Landlord’s Expense
The Texas woman was convicted of renting a home from Jessica Davis under her late father Rayes Ruybal’s name. According to the New York Post, once she moved in, the squatter never made a payment to Davis, living in the home for free for several months.
Once Davis was finally able to get her out of the property, she was left with a massive cleanup on her hands. “Both of the toilets are clogged with mounds of toilet paper and other seemingly fluids,” Davis told Fox News back in 2023. Sadly, Davis eventually lost the home after being unable to make the payments due to a lack of rental income.
The judge was able to use this story, as well as previous convictions across Texas and Denver, to enhance the sentencing.
The Squatter Was Accused of Other Offenses Over the Years
It may be bad enough that Davis lost her home as a result of the lack of rental payments, but other former landlords have said that they were left with expensive cleanouts after dealing with the squatter as well. That includes a Colorado landlord who told Denver7 that her property was contaminated with methamphetamine after the squatter lived in her home back in 2024.
She is also accused of stealing more than $500,000 from her former employer in her role as a bookkeeper and payroll manager, according to the outlet.
All States Have Some Sort of Squatters’ Rights
According to the American Apartment Owners Association, squatters’ rights (aka adverse possession) laws exist in every state. Unfortunately, stories like the one Davis shared are becoming more common, highlighting the importance of laws like this.
But not every story ends with a conviction (and, more importantly for Davis, a $40,000 restitution fee), making it important for potential landlords to learn the rules in their state so they can protect themselves before something like this happens to them.