A handyman who decided to take matters into his own hands regarding squatters taking up residence in his mother’s home earlier in 2023 has decided to offer his intuitive approach to squatters as a service to anyone else dealing with the headache of unwanted trespassers, which law enforcement typically can’t remedy alone.
Modern day squatting and/or squatters rights is a far cry from their origins in America as outlined in the Homestead Act of 1862, where the adverse possession legalities at the time were meant to accommodate pioneers engaged in homesteading who legitimately believed a plot of land they built a home upon was neither owned nor occupied.
Fast forward to today, and the legal term squatting isn’t exactly used to describe a scenario akin to Little House on the Prairie, but rather a scenario where a person or persons break into an unoccupied existing home in a residential area and proceeds to treat the home they knowingly stole as their own.
Often times when local authorities are called out to assist with squatters, regardless of the state, police will typically inform the legitimate homeowner that there is nothing they can do until formal evictions are pursued through the courts – a process that can take several months, if not longer.
However, Flash Shelton was seemingly not interested in pursuing the arduous court route when dealing with squatters in his mother’s California home earlier in 2023, opting to instead have his mother make him a legal tenant and technically move-in and then let his new squatting roommates know he was going to be removing their belongings.
After Shelton’s story went viral this past spring, the clever individual recently decided that his proven-effective method of ousting squatters could be a service he could offer to those who are actively dealing with unwanted guests.
“I can basically become a tenant and live with them until they choose to leave on their own," Shelton said. "Go in and sit on the couch and open the fridge and basically be like, ‘I don't know what you're doing, but this is my home now.’”
Shelton added that this approach often leaves squatters befuddled, saying, “The adrenaline kicks in, and I just go in, and I just feel comfortable, and I just make it happen. They're not only surprised, they don't know how to react.”
To make the effort all the more interesting, Shelton says he informs the squatters that he’s installing Ring cameras throughout the home, describing it as a sort of reality show, saying of their reactions, “People kind of want to get away as fast as possible, and they don't want to be seen.”
Once the squatters decide they’ve had enough of Shelton’s unique imposition, or if the squatters briefly leave the home, he works quickly to secure the residence so that the property pilferers find themselves with no way back in.
While Shelton is confident in his methods when executing them personally, he doesn’t exactly recommend that others attempt to emulate his approach without proper education and assistance.
“I prepare so much ahead of time," he said, "and because I know all about who I'm going to deal with, I know how many people are there. There are risks involved, and I don't recommend that people do this on their own, but I will help you and give you tools and try to help you do it in a peaceful way.”
Outside of his squatter-removal services, Shelton is working to see the problem addressed on the national level via legislation, having started a petition to make squatting illegal on the federal level.
Modern day squatting and/or squatters rights is a far cry from their origins in America as outlined in the Homestead Act of 1862, where the adverse possession legalities at the time were meant to accommodate pioneers engaged in homesteading who legitimately believed a plot of land they built a home upon was neither owned nor occupied.
Fast forward to today, and the legal term squatting isn’t exactly used to describe a scenario akin to Little House on the Prairie, but rather a scenario where a person or persons break into an unoccupied existing home in a residential area and proceeds to treat the home they knowingly stole as their own.
Often times when local authorities are called out to assist with squatters, regardless of the state, police will typically inform the legitimate homeowner that there is nothing they can do until formal evictions are pursued through the courts – a process that can take several months, if not longer.
However, Flash Shelton was seemingly not interested in pursuing the arduous court route when dealing with squatters in his mother’s California home earlier in 2023, opting to instead have his mother make him a legal tenant and technically move-in and then let his new squatting roommates know he was going to be removing their belongings.
After Shelton’s story went viral this past spring, the clever individual recently decided that his proven-effective method of ousting squatters could be a service he could offer to those who are actively dealing with unwanted guests.
“I can basically become a tenant and live with them until they choose to leave on their own," Shelton said. "Go in and sit on the couch and open the fridge and basically be like, ‘I don't know what you're doing, but this is my home now.’”
Shelton added that this approach often leaves squatters befuddled, saying, “The adrenaline kicks in, and I just go in, and I just feel comfortable, and I just make it happen. They're not only surprised, they don't know how to react.”
To make the effort all the more interesting, Shelton says he informs the squatters that he’s installing Ring cameras throughout the home, describing it as a sort of reality show, saying of their reactions, “People kind of want to get away as fast as possible, and they don't want to be seen.”
Once the squatters decide they’ve had enough of Shelton’s unique imposition, or if the squatters briefly leave the home, he works quickly to secure the residence so that the property pilferers find themselves with no way back in.
While Shelton is confident in his methods when executing them personally, he doesn’t exactly recommend that others attempt to emulate his approach without proper education and assistance.
“I prepare so much ahead of time," he said, "and because I know all about who I'm going to deal with, I know how many people are there. There are risks involved, and I don't recommend that people do this on their own, but I will help you and give you tools and try to help you do it in a peaceful way.”
Outside of his squatter-removal services, Shelton is working to see the problem addressed on the national level via legislation, having started a petition to make squatting illegal on the federal level.
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