A lawsuit brought against a New York couple by a pair of alleged squatters has officially been discontinued by a judge.
The attorney of homeowner Juliya Fulman and her partner Denis Kurlyand has said that the case against them was ‘over’ after Judge Vijay Kitson threw out the case with prejudice.
The latter call means the claim cannot be refiled, and that a definite conclusion has been drawn.
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The call comes after the alleged home invaders sued the couple for unlawfully removing them from the $930,000 duplex home.
Speaking about the decision, attorney Rizpah Morrow told reporters: “The landlords, the owners, own the house, they have possession.
“The people who said they were locked out have walked away from the situation.
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“They are no longer requesting to be restored to possession and we still have their stuff.”
This bizarre situation first arose when two male invaders were attempting to claim legal rights to Fulman and Kurlyand’s New York property, due to state laws.
It was claimed that the two men had been legally renting the Queen’s property from the homeowners since January 2024.
This stand-off began earlier this year when the couple’s real estate broker, Ejona Bardhi, discovered that two men were allegedly squatting at the duplex.
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She also claimed that they had changed the locks on her client’s property.
As per the New York Post, she called the police after discovering them.
When the cops arrived, the two men were unable to provide proof of their tenancy. It’s reported that they then left the premises without incident.
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However, the following day, the alleged squatters returned to present officials with paperwork - which they said - that proved they were the rightful owners of the house.
However, Fulman and Kurlyand denied this.
The alleged squatters also claimed the residency had been vacant since January.
State legislation allows potential squatters to access several legal protections after successfully occupying a particular property for more than 30 days.
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After the men were escorted from the house, police found damage inside and a lawsuit was quickly submitted against Fulman and Kurlyand on March 15.
The now-discontinued suit against the pair claimed that two men were unlawfully removed from the Queen’s residence.
During the filing, a signed lease agreement was brought forward as evidence well as several pieces of mail addressed to the home, as per the publication.
Despite this evidence - which also included a $25 Shake Shack receipt - the two alleged squatters did not show up for their scheduled court appearance.
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This, therefore allowed Fulman and her partner to prevail.
Speaking to reporters following the lawsuit, the former said: “Right now, there is a very big problem with these criminals and these squatters.
“Lawmakers need to make laws in order to protect the people, the citizens.
“These criminals are trying to drive people out of New York, and that is not going to happen.”
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She added that she feels as if she doesn’t have the ‘full justice in this case’ and that she would like to know further how they ‘had property there’.
Ella Scott