Expert: Josh Shapiro taking up fight that could cost him if he wins!

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a so-called “rising star” in his Democrat Party and possible Oval Office nominee at some point, is embroiled in a fight with his neighbor for trying to take property from the neighbor, without paying.

Now constitutional expert Jonathan Turley is sounding off on the fight, explaining that while there could be legal arguments on Shapiro’s side, the real question is whether he could afford to win.

After all, he is among the most anti-border wall of all anti-border wall politicians.

Turley noted Shapiro is being sued by the neighbors, Jeremy and Simone Mock, for “effectively squatting on their land and then seizing it to install a fence along his $830,500 private residence in suburban Philadelphia.”

“The irony of the case is crushing. Shapiro opposed Trump’s plan to build a wall along the southern border, declaring that he would sue before a dime of Pennsylvania money went to pay for it. He apparently adopted a similar approach to his neighbors in Pennsylvania. The difference is that he built the wall, but without giving his neighbors a dime,” Turley wrote.

The issue is that Shapiro wants a 2,900-square-foot parcel of land located between the two homes. He wanted to buy it but refused to pay the neighbors’ price. They offered to lease it to him but he refused to pay.

After negotiations failed Shapiro came up with the idea that he should just demand ownership, claiming he’s had, occupied, cared for and improved the land for decades, so it falls under the state’s “adverse possession” ownership law.

“He basically claimed that they abandoned the land despite their repeatedly trying to gain entry and repeatedly turning down his offers to buy it,” Turley pointed out.

Turley noted Pennsylvania law requires an occupant to “prove actual, continuous, exclusive, visible, notorious, distinct and hostile possession of the land for 21 years. Shapiro clearly has the hostile part down, but the Mocks are claiming that he effectively used state police to bar them from their land and then claimed that they abandoned it.”

The Mocks confirm that Shapiro made “previous acknowledgments that the Mock Property was owned by no one other than the Mocks.” They document that the Shapiros did not want to pay the asking price, so the Mocks offered to lease the land to them. The Shapiros allegedly agreed but then backed out,” Turley said.

Then Shapiro simply said the land was his, ordering state police to prevent the Mocks from using their land, even though they paid taxes on the land for years.

He noted, “The optics are also worsened by the fact that the state has been struggling to address a squatting crisis where people occupy other people’s homes and then refuse to leave during years of litigation. Shapiro is accused of being a squatter with a state trooper contingent to back him up. It is not clear what would be worse for Shapiro to lose or to win in taking his neighbor’s property without compensation.”

Since Shapiro is running for re-election the fight already is political.

“One of his opponents, Stacy Garrity, posted a Valentine’s Day message on social media with Shapiro’s face that said: ‘I love you more than I love my neighbor’s yard,'” Turley wrote.

WorldNetDaily has reported both sides have gone to court.

Pennsylvania governor accused in court of trying to steal neighbor’s sliver of land