Handyman creates effective method to lawfully evict squatters: ‘Claiming ownership of my residence’

Handyman Devises Simple System to ‌Legally Get Rid​ of ‌Squatters:⁢ ‘This Is My Home Now’

Where was Flash Shelton when I needed him? Had his services ⁤been available in 2012, ​I would have sought his help.

Shelton,⁢ founder of the United Handyman⁢ Association, took matters into his ⁢own hands when squatters moved into his mother’s California home. ​Now, he’s helping others in the ⁤same situation.

In March, Shelton explained to Fox News that after his father died, ‌his mother decided to rent her house. When she declined a group⁣ of prospective renters, they broke into the house and moved in anyway.

The authorities said they couldn’t do anything.⁣ So Shelton let himself in‌ — and stayed.

So annoyed ⁢did the squatters become that they quickly moved out. Shelton got his ⁤mom’s home back.

This week, he‌ told Fox News that he is now offering his services to ⁣other homeowners dealing with squatters. “I ‌can’t go in and remove them, but I can go in and⁤ move in with them,” he said.

His message ‌to‌ the uninvited inhabitants?⁣ “I don’t know⁤ what you’re doing, but this is ⁤my home now.”

Shelton said he even installs Ring cameras in ⁢every room in the house. “People kind of want‌ to get away as fast as possible,” ⁢he said.

Watch the⁣ latest video at⁣ foxnews.com

I ⁤applaud Shelton, as I know his story well in ​my own way.

The nightmare cost me thousands ‌of dollars in legal fees and lost​ revenue. I spent countless nights worrying. My squatter was a ⁤professional. Many are.

The squatter claimed to be a downtrodden,⁤ newly single ‍mom needing a place to live. Her​ job checked out, as did⁢ her personal references. We signed a lease, and⁤ she ⁢paid me the necessary deposit and first month’s rent. The home was ‍located in New Jersey. I was living in Connecticut at the time, a‍ few hours away.

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It⁣ wasn’t long ⁢after she moved in that I stopped receiving rent. When I contacted her about it, she offered me one excuse after another. Eventually, time would pass, and I’d get a check ​for ⁤the amount she owed.

It got to the‌ point, however, where no rent was⁣ forthcoming at‌ all. Concerned, I was compelled to inform her that I would be arriving for a visit. She acknowledged this but was nowhere to ‌be found when‌ I arrived after⁤ the two-and-a-half-hour drive.

Instead, I found the locks changed. I couldn’t get into my own home.

I had rented the home fully⁣ furnished, ⁤but, looking through the windows, I could see that ⁤there was almost no furniture left. She ⁤had been selling my ⁢own ​furnishings to pay me rent.

When I contacted the police, they told⁣ me that this wasn’t unusual but⁣ that they could‍ do⁤ nothing to help. Their hands were tied. What they could do was direct me to a good attorney.

New ​Jersey has very stringent laws protecting squatters. It took me over six months to finally get the squatter out of my house, and still she was granted a temporary stay by a judge ​ at the last minute.

During that time, I was⁤ forced to pay to⁣ fill the oil tank‍ in​ the house to​ keep her warm.

And all this because I⁢ thought I was doing the right thing by sheltering ​this woman and​ her family at a ⁣difficult⁣ time. That mindset is what many of them depend on. Live and ‌learn. I will never rent ⁣again.

This is why I say that Flash Shelton is a hero for his ingenuity and gutsiness in taking care ​of his mother’s squatter situation.

The people who moved into those four walls without permission had no⁤ right to be there. ​ Common sense says so even when the law⁤ does ⁤not.

That home meant something to the ⁢Shelton family. It meant something totally different to the squatters — easy pickings. To them, it was an opportunity worth taking because the law was on their side.

My guess, however, is that ⁣Shelton was able to pull his plan off because he did not own the ​home. Had he owned the home instead of his mom, he might have ‌found himself in a‍ bunch ​of hot water‍ and possibly jail. That⁤ is how this game is played. It’s mind-boggling.

We live in a time when those who break⁣ the law are protected by the law and ⁣those who abide by the law are not. ⁢Hard-working Americans are ⁣constantly footing the ⁣bill for those⁢ who play ⁤the system. How is that even a little ‍bit OK?

Squatters should⁣ have⁤ zero rights. And police⁢ should be able to toss ‍them⁤ out on their ​ears once legal ownership is‌ verified. It shouldn’t take months of‍ legal​ proceedings, ‌punishing the ‌landlord‍ for⁢ the squatter’s purposeful victimization.

It is⁣ all very backward and⁢ nearly devastating for some landlords. It also costs insurance companies millions of dollars ⁤each year.

According to Porch, ​“there are currently several million properties with squatters in the ​U.S.” In certain situations, if the squatter ‌lives there ⁢long enough, he ​can​ legally claim possession of the property.

That is why actively removing squatters is imperative. The process of doing so is complex and enormously stressful.‌ It also ends up ⁢costing ⁢landlords a pretty penny.

Throughout the process, the squatters assume no loss or ⁢penalties. In⁢ the end, they can just go their merry​ way, only to do it‍ again to another unsuspecting landlord.

And if you⁣ happen to be called as a reference for a squatter and you give an honest but bad evaluation, you could be sued. So many landlords don’t, allowing the cycle to‌ continue and the⁢ squatters’ con game to go on.

Flash⁤ Shelton⁤ deserves a medal. So long as our justice system continues to‍ work against ‍the ⁤very people it was meant to protect, individual determination is imperative in these situations.

Welcome to today’s ⁢America, where crime is rewarded and the honest man is punished. How ⁢unfair.

The post Handyman​ Devises Simple System ‍to Legally Get Rid of Squatters: ‘This Is My⁣ Home Now’ ⁤ appeared ⁢first on The Western​ Journal.