Posted on 08/17/2023 1:13:45 PM PDT by Red Badger
After squatters took over his mother's home, one handyman took the law into his own hands and uncovered a clever way to force them out.
United Handyman Association founder Flash Shelton became the squatter himself.
"I dissected the laws over a weekend. I basically figured out that until there's civil action, the squatters didn't have any rights. So if I could switch places with them, become the squatter myself, I would assume those squatter rights," Shelton said Thursday on "Varney & Co."
After his father died, the family was trying to sell the home but learned squatters had taken over the residence. Squatters are individuals who do not own or rent a property but live there anyway.
Upon calling law enforcement, Shelton learned there was little police could do.
"I called local law enforcement, and as soon as they saw that there was furniture in the house, they said that I had a squatter situation and they had basically no jurisdiction and they couldn't do anything," he said.
Shelton then decided to he could use squatters rights to take back his home. As a precaution, he also had his mother write and notarize a lease.
"I packed up my jeep, drove up there and paced out the joint around 4 a.m. I waited. About 8:00, 8:30 in the morning, three cars pulled out of the driveway and I made entrance to the house. I put up cameras, waited for them to come back," he said.
"They didn't have a lease, so that never came into play. But when they came back, I just laid it out for them, told them that it was all locked up, cameras, and the only way they would get back in the house is if they broke in on camera, and I would prosecute. I told them they had a day to get their stuff out or the furniture was not theirs anymore."
In many cities across the U.S., squatting is becoming a worse problem often due to progressive policies favoring squatters and tenants over landlords.
According to Madison Ventures+ managing director Mitch Roschelle, real estate markets in cities like New York City, Philadelphia and Los Angeles could face an exacerbated squatter problem.
In New York, squatters are granted rights after just 30 days, which makes it harder to evict. It’s a similar story in Los Angeles, where landlords are often forced to pay just to get rid of tenants who fail to pay. And in Philadelphia, even after a court orders a person out of a home, sheriffs might show up to evict, but end up leaving rather than cause a confrontation.
"The laws are written to protect the tenant, not the landlord," Roschelle told Fox News Digital in June. "The local laws that protect tenants at the expense of landlords have fueled this phenomenon because we've basically said forever it's the landlord's fault, not the tenant's fault if the tenant can't pay rent."
He further warned landlords: "The law is not on your side."
Stop abandoning your homes to vermin if you care about them
Don’t leave them vacant to be infested
Duh
democrat party law is not on our side.
All over America this is a common theme:
Upon calling law enforcement, Shelton learned there was little police could do.
That stupid cliche “take the law into his own hands” is ahead of “he’s going to prison for a long, long time” in my pet peeve cliche list.
The system of pseudo justice allows the guilty to go free or get out of prison quickly.
After the defense gets the judge to not allow the jurors to hear the recorded incriminating speech, or hear testimony before being properly Mirandized, or learn the offender did the same crime the same way several times in the past including as detailed in sealed juvenile records, the guilty offender smirks and goes free, plotting to get the witnesses and to find fresh new victims among us.
This is exactly what people should do. The police won’t help so just kick them out and make them try to sue you instead.
In fact, this guy was nice. I would have put their stuff on the curb (kept anything I liked) and then if they break in possibly shoot them in self defense (depending on the state call the police...but I’d have to question my life choices on why I’m in such a state to begin with).
This doesn’t just happen to people who are neglegent and leave their house unattended because they are busy or lazy.
Some people are in the military and out of the country. Some are abroad on business. This is shameful that we as Americans allow this to happen.
I would not be surprised to see someone burn their squatted on home to the ground killing everyone inside.
Things are going to come to this at some point in all aspects of life.
I had considered this kind of situation, and thought about using audio exciters
https://www.daytonaudio.com/topic/excitersbuyerguide
attach one to outside of window(s) and play really random creapy stuff to make the squaters think the house was haunted, so they would not want to stay.
Screams, gunshots, breaking glass, cat fights, barking dogs, sirens sounds etc that would randomly play at a really loud volume all day and night
We’ve got local friends here in North Idaho who say they would NEVER have a rental in California. Here in Idaho, the law favors the landlords and you get rid of the deadbeats in a flash.
We had one rental house in CA 40 years ago. The tenant paid two rent checks and then stopped. He totally trash the place, stole fixtures, spa equipment, left it knee deep in filth. The water company had turned off the water but he continue to use the toilet. It took us six months to get him out through the court and sheriff system! Then, about the day the sheriff was coming to the door to evict him, he took off and was never seen again. Did we ever take a bath on that.
Stop abandoning your homes to vermin if you care about them
Don’t leave them vacant to be infested
_______________________________________________
It’s not always so easy. The last parent may have died, and there is a mourning process to go through. Maybe there is a lone adult child who has to handle it. Maybe several children are bickering over it. Also, the person who inherited it might live out of state. The situation can be complicated.
Sometimes it happens when people go on vacation!! And in all likelihood the incidence of it happening will increase in number and geographic area because a) they get away with it and homeowner gets no legal support- which baffles me b) millions of illegals no where to live
Good plan. If you go on a month-long trip you may come back to find a squatter. So we are all supposed to never travel again to prevent squatters. I don’t think so. Try again.
“Duh” indeed.
That’s cool!
Really — this guy was too nice giving them a chance to reclaim their stuff. Move it all to the curb. Give them 24 hours to get rid of it or it’s going to the dump.
Know anyone who’s been evicted for back taxes?
Not everyone who left their home vacant has a choice.
From a couple of months ago and NYS...
I’m fairly sure that if that happened here, the true owner of the property would be able to organize enough neighbors, friends and relatives to roust the squatters- I would just take my home back through force.
Blame the victim.
How quaint.
What makes you think these people abandoned their homes.
Do you ever leave your house for a weekend? If so, you could be a victim.
Nope. I just start shooting. They will exit dancing.
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