Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro faces a lawsuit filed by his neighbors for allegedly stealing part of their property to make security upgrades following last year’s arson attack on his family’s home.
The neighbors, Jeremy and Simone Mock, allege the Democrat governor unlawfully took possession of a 2,900 square foot parcel of land located between their two homes.
According to the New York Post, the lawsuit alleges that Shapiro and his wife, Lori, “unlawfully seized the stretch of land after initial negotiations to buy it from them went up in flames.”
Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro’s neighbor accuses him of stealing land in ‘outrageous abuse of power’ https://t.co/z4ikvz8F3B pic.twitter.com/aSzPzyGksh
— New York Post (@nypost) March 11, 2026
More from the New York Post:
Shapiro claimed in a countersuit that he owns the disputed land due, citing an “adverse possession” loophole that makes it his because he has maintained the sliver of property for decades.
The land-grab tit-for-tat kicked off last year when the Shapiros first sought to erect the huge fence and upgrade security following an arson attack on the governor’s official residence in Harrisburg while they were all sleeping inside on April 13.
Shapiro initially offered to pay the Mocks for the 2,900-square-foot section of land, which he for decades had believed was his, to be able to build the fence, the suit said.
The negotiations, however, fell through when the neighbors couldn’t agree on a price.
The Mocks allege that’s when Shapiro and his wife unlawfully claimed ownership of the property — even planting trees and having State Troopers stationed there.
“What followed was an outrageous abuse of power by the sitting Governor of Pennsylvania,” the Mocks’ lawsuit argues.
A spokesperson for the governor called the lawsuit “a shameless political stunt,” Spotlight PA noted.
“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,” his office said, according to the New York Post.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and neighbors sued over an 8‑ft fence after Jeremy and Simone Mock accused Shapiro and his wife of illegally occupying part of an Abington yard. pic.twitter.com/tm5O0cHHMS
— News Now (@NewsNowUS) February 10, 2026
Spotlight PA shared further:
The Mocks allege the Shapiros claimed the disputed land as their own through adverse possession, an arcane real estate process by which a person can take legal title of a property if they can prove they’ve occupied and used it exclusively for a period of time (in Pennsylvania, that is 21 years). Soon after, the Shapiros began planting trees and other plants there, and flying a drone over the Mock property, the lawsuit says.
“Worse and most egregiously, upon information and belief, Gov. Shapiro personally directed the State Police to patrol the Mock property,” according to the lawsuit, which also includes a picture of two troopers standing at the alleged disputed site. “On multiple occasions, when the Mocks have attempted to use their property, the State Police have insisted the area was ‘disputed’ and told them to immediately exit their property.”
In their lawsuit, the Shapiros say that once negotiations broke down, they scrapped their plan to erect a new fence and their attorney informed the Mocks they were taking control of the parcel through adverse possession. They allege the Mocks had not used or maintained it since moving into their house in 2017, nor had they voiced any objection to the Shapiros using it as their own.
The situation allegedly escalated from there. The Shapiros say in their lawsuit that the Mocks decided to build their own fence that would encroach on the disputed parcel. Despite being told they would not have access to it, the Shapiros said the Mocks hired a surveyor who showed up unannounced and was ultimately denied access by the governor’s security detail.