If I understand correctly, the 'evil rich owner' (which the American justice system seems to hate) creates a new lease to their own self or to some agent. Then they gain access to the property and 'claim it' (change locks, put all bills in their name, confiscate whatever is on the property).
Now, they are no longer 'owners' (who are evil of course). They have become simple tenants who are warding off a home invasion. This puts them on a different tier in the Liberal hierarchy of so called 'victims'. And it makes the property no longer abandoned, but it is now actively occupied.
This may work in some places. But in Blue States desperate for places to house homeless and their new illegals are approaching pure totalitarianism. The Judges will likely find a way to simply ignore any 'law' or logic and still find a way to give the property to the squatters, no matter what any law says and betraying anything resembling reasoned logical process.
I think some Deep Blue States are getting close to just simple open confiscation of private property to try to fix the problems they themselves created. If I had property in some Deep Blue "Sanctuary" area, I would be extremely worried about the government commandeering my properties in the name of ... well just pick one ... 'immigration crisis' - 'climate crisis' - 'homeless crisis' - 'crisis crisis' - or for no declared reason at all.
In the American Judicial system today, "Law" has become fungible. It is no longer applied equally. But rather law depends on who the parties are. Their skin color, sexual preference, legal status, Party affiliation, and social media profile, mean more to the Judges than any stupid 'law'.
