NEW: Democrat Governor Exposed As ‘Squatter’ After Neighbor Blows The Whistle

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and first lady Lori Shapiro are being sued by neighbors who claim the Democrat governor is trespassing, using state power to muscle control of private property and trying to take land the couple refused to sell.

The dispute centers on a strip of land along the property line between the Shapiros’ $830,500 home in Jenkintown, a Philadelphia suburb, and a neighboring property owned by Jeremy and Simone Mock, whose home is valued at just under $1 million, according to the lawsuit.

The Mocks say the conflict escalated after Shapiro sought to build an eight-foot security fence along the boundary following an arson attack on the governor’s official residence in Harrisburg. Shapiro and his family are Jewish. The arsonist allegedly told police he was motivated by Israel’s war with Hamas, according to the report.

The lawsuit says Shapiro and his wife believed for years that about 2,900 square feet of land belonged to them. When state security planning in 2025 revealed the land was deeded to the Mocks, the Shapiros offered to buy it so they could move forward with their security project, the complaint alleges.

The families could not agree on a price. The Mocks then offered to lease the land, and the Shapiros initially agreed, according to the lawsuit. But the Mocks say the governor and first lady later pivoted to what the complaint calls “alternative actions” to obtain the land by claiming ownership under Pennsylvania’s adverse possession law.

The Mocks allege the Shapiros planted large trees on their property, threatened to remove healthy trees, flew a drone overhead and chased away the Mocks’ arborist and surveyor.

The lawsuit also claims the governor directed Pennsylvania State Police to patrol the disputed land even though it was owned by the Mocks. When the Mocks attempted to access the area, state police allegedly told them the land was “disputed” and ordered them to leave immediately.

The Mocks say they were forced to pause construction of their own fence because contractors were told they could not approach what police described as a “disputed area” inside a “security zone.” They also claim they were told they could not enter the area without consent from the Shapiros.

Shapiro and his wife deny wrongdoing and have filed a countersuit, arguing they legally own the disputed strip through adverse possession, which can allow an unauthorized occupant to gain title after continuously occupying land for 21 years.

The Shapiros claim their uninterrupted possession began when they moved into the home in May 2003, the countersuit says. They argue the fence separating the properties existed before they bought the house and that from 2003 until 2025 both households treated the fence line as the true boundary.

In their filing, the Shapiros say they maintained and improved the area by “mowing, landscaping, installing improvements, and excluding others.” They also argue the Mocks, who bought their home in 2017, “never possessed or occupied” the disputed land and did not object until October 2025, when the Shapiros informed them they claimed ownership.

State security officials moved to tighten protection around Shapiro’s residences after Cody Balmer, 38, threw a Molotov cocktail into the governor’s mansion in April 2025 while Shapiro and his family were inside celebrating the first night of Passover, the report said. Balmer later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison, according to the report.

Shapiro’s office has suggested the lawsuit is a political stunt as he runs for reelection. The Mocks are represented by Republican attorney Walter Zimolong, known for conservative legal fights.

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A Shapiro spokesperson told the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this month: “The Governor looks forward to a swift resolution and will not be bullied by anyone trying to score cheap political points, especially at the expense of his family’s safety and wellbeing.”

Zimolong rejected the stunt claim, telling the Washington Post the lawsuit is “not a political action or “stunt”, it’s a straightforward defense of the property rights of two innocent people.”

Attorneys for both sides did not respond to requests for comment, the report said.

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