A man accused of occupying a $2 million Long Island mansion is said to have “done this before” in other states.
Brett Flores, 32, is currently embroiled in a months-long eviction fight with homebuyers Joseph and Susana Landa, both 68, who bought the property to live with their disabled son.
The Landas bought the $2 million home in October, before realizing that Flores refused to leave and claimed he had the legal right to live there.
Speaking to Fox News, the couple said that an anonymous person gave them information showing that Flores ‘had done this before’ in houses of Ohio and California.
Joseph Landa told the outlet, “He really knows the system and how to get by on his own without a lawyer, living rent-free, renting rooms, earning income and trashing.”
A man accused of occupying a $2 million Long Island mansion is said to have “done this before” in other states.
José and Susana Landa, both 68 years old, bought the property to live with their disabled son
But they are embroiled in a months-long eviction fight with squatter Brett Flores, 32,
The couple says they have received evidence suggesting Flores has pulled off similar stunts in Ohio and California.
According to the Landas’ attorney, Anthony Mordente, Flores told the couple he would leave the property once they paid him more than $100,000.
Susana added: “We were about to release him, but when we saw his history and met with someone who gave us a summary of his past events, we started to get very scared.”
It was after this interaction that they decided to hire a security guard to monitor the property.
Susana added: ‘The money is on the table. We offered the money to our lawyer in court in front of a judge, and he said “it’s not enough.”
“So the money is there, which is fine, it’s painful, and I know what we’re going to face, which is going to be a totally trashed house.”
The Landas say Flores flooded their backyard after a cesspool on the property became clogged.
The family had to tear down the back porch that bordered the house.
The Landas say they bought the house on Long Island because their family knew the neighborhood well and had relatives who lived in the area who could help their disabled son Alex if something happened to them.
According to the Landas’ attorney, Anthony Mordente, Flores told the couple he would leave the property once they paid him more than $100,000.
They claim he has allowed the mansion to deteriorate, as evidenced by DailyMail.com photos.
The couple bought the house as a retreat for themselves and their son Alex (left), who has Down syndrome.
But they haven’t been able to move into the mansion for more than four months, and Flores filed for bankruptcy to delay the trial while claiming that the former owner, Bernie Fernandez, bequeathed it to him when he died.
His lawyer confirmed that he was a live-in caregiver for Fernandez who worked “24 hours a day,” but he did not work for an agency and found the position himself.
Amid the continued delays, Landa’s home has fallen into disrepair, as exclusive footage from this week showed.
White paint has been left scattered on several doors, windows and even security cameras.
The Landas say they have been forced to pay thousands of dollars in utility bills and bills while Flores lives rent-free and the windows were left wide open despite the cold breeze blowing through New York this week.
A note allegedly left by Flores on the door of the house told the new owners that they “do not have my consent to enter” and that their attempts to contact him would be “interpreted as harassment.”
While the house has fallen into disrepair as the Landas are still unable to move in, the Landas also claim that Flores was advertising rooms in their future home on rental sites.
In online listings, which appear to have been removed, Flores advertised ‘The Prince Room’ for $50 a night for men, women, couples, families or students looking for a place to stay.
The Landas say Flores flooded their backyard after a cesspool on the property became clogged.
White paint has been left scattered on several doors, windows and even security cameras.
His rental services had even garnered three reviews, suggesting that Flores may have hosted paying tenants at Landa’s home.
On Friday, a lawyer representing Flores claimed his client had been “misrepresented.”
Dennis O’Connell said: “There is definitely more to this…buyers are not the victims they say they are.”
On Saturday, O’Connell also said Flores has a newborn son who has a lung disease.
It is unclear if the child lives inside the home with him.
While no one in the area had anything to say about Flores, an elderly couple told DailyMail.com on Friday that former owner ‘Bernie’ Fernandez was the “sweetest man and the most beautiful person.”
They said she was known to have lived with a boyfriend at the mansion, called only James, but that they were “on and off for years.”
“Bernie had a lot of money,” they said, noting that he made millions in Florida and was known for selling high-end watches like Rolex.
The couple decided to hire a security guard to guard the property after a ‘scary’ interaction with Flores.
“She was the kindest, most beautiful person you would ever meet,” they said. “Bernie had a good heart, as sweet as he could be.”
They said they had only seen Flores once when he was working on the farm and felt he was “probably taking advantage of the situation.”
Carmen, who has lived in the area for 21 years and lives just a few blocks away, was amazed that this is “the house” that has been making headlines in her neighborhood.
‘Wow! This is the famous house. “I can’t believe it,” he told DailyMail.com.
as she stood in front of the house looking at it during her Friday morning walk… “I recognize the house.”
‘I walk very frequently. I know it sold, but most of the time when I walk by the house, it’s always very quiet.’
The Landas and Flores are expected to appear in court late next month as the case progresses.