Featured Image Credit: Handyman Answers/YouTube
Topics: US News
Jess Hardiman
A man has shared how he managed to get his own back on a group of squatters who he claims took over his mum’s home.
Flash Shelton, executive director of United Handyman Association, shared a video on YouTube explaining how ‘a family a squatters’ moved into his mother’s vacant house in California recently.
He explained that the issue started when his father passed away, at which point his mum put the family home up for rent as she was no longer able to live there.
A woman, who Shelton said claimed to be a prison guard, got in touch about renting the property, but said she couldn’t offer any money or credit towards it.
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But after the family declined, the woman decided she would still move in without permission, and turned up with a van of belongings.
“She ended up having a truck of furniture, and literally moved into the house,” Shelton said in the video, which has attracted more than three million views on YouTube.
“I started hearing from realtors ... saying that there is this lady and people in the house and a house full of furniture.”
Shelton also heard from neighbours who said they had seen ‘lights on in the property’ during evenings, having also spotted cars pulling up on the driveway.
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He said he tried reaching out for help from authorities, but claimed he was told they would not be able to do anything.
“They said, ‘I’m sorry, we can’t enter the house and it looks like they’re living there. You need to go through the courts',” Shelton continued.
So Shelton chose to come up with a way of getting them out by himself - managing to do so in ‘less than a day’.
“All I needed to do at that point was do the same thing they did, and occupy the house,” he said.
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“If they can take a house, I can take a house.”
Shelton played the squatters at their own game, a move that began with getting his mother to write up a ‘lease agreement’, which would make him the legal tenant of the property.
He then loaded up his car and set off from Nevada towards California, arriving at 4am and waiting for the squatters to leave the building.
Shelton then went inside to confirm what he’d heard, finding other people’s belongings throughout the home.
“Crazy, huh?” he said.
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“There was tons of stuff in there, and I was completely shocked.”
Shelton went out and bought Ring cameras to install at the house, at which point the woman and her granddaughter returned.
He told them he had people due to come and remove their stuff from the property later that day, saying: “Either you take it out, or I have to take it out and put it out on the driveway until it gets picked up.”
Surprisingly, the squatters were polite about the situation, and even apologised.
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“I’m really sorry about all this, I really am - it's just a nightmare beyond,” they said, before - amazingly - leaving with their stuff the next day.
Shelton described the plan as 'successful', adding: “I think just the fact that I was there was enough.
“It was actually fun to do it. I won’t lie about that."
In the video’s description, Shelton also shared some advice to others who might be in a similar situation, saying to proceed with huge caution.
“I don’t suggest that everyone take a chance like I did on their own,” he said.
“It’s worth noting that I have had special training, a license to carry and was prepared for whatever situation was to arise.
“The men and women I had to deal with remained peaceful and that may not always be the case. If you ever have a situation like this, it is best to expect the worst and you will be prepared.”