California handyman Flash Shelton tells how he got his revenge on squatters who took over his mom’s house by finding legal loophole

A California handyman who went viral for taking revenge on squatters who moved into his mother’s house has revealed how he evicted them by squatting himself.

Flash Shelton posted a video of his victory in March by removing squatters from his mother’s house in less than a day after his father died.

Shelton, the founder of the United Handyman Association, said he spent a weekend dissecting the laws and finding out what his rights were in the situation.

“Basically, I understood that until there was a civil action, the squatters had no rights.

“So if I could switch places with them, become the squatter myself, I would assume those squatter rights,” Shelton said.

He had already exhausted the use of local law enforcement, which was of no use.

Shelton, the founder of the United Handyman Association, said he spent a weekend dissecting the laws and finding out what his rights were in the situation.

Shelton decided to take the concept of ‘squatters’ rights’ into his own hands, almost like something out of a classic sitcom

“I called the local law enforcement and as soon as they saw there was furniture in the house they said I had a squatter situation and they had virtually no jurisdiction and there was nothing they could do,” he said. FoxNews THURSDAY.

That’s when he decided to take the concept of “squatters’ rights” into his own hands, almost like something out of a classic sitcom.

“I packed up my jeep, went over there and paced the joint around 4am. I waited. Around 8:00, 8:30 in the morning, three cars pulled out of the driveway and I entered the house. I installed cameras, I waited for them to come back,” he said.

When the family finally arrived, he set his plan in motion.

“They didn’t have a lease, so it never played out. But when they came back, I explained everything to them, I told them everything was locked up, the cameras, and the only way for them to get into the house was to break in on camera, and I would pursue .

“I told them they had a day to get their things out or the furniture was no longer theirs.”

Shelton expressed frustration with laws in progressive cities like New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles that often favor squatters, saying similar legalese was at play.

“The law would prevent me from physically removing them,” he said. ‘However, since I was not the owner, I had more rights. As a tenant, I would actually have more rights than them.

Shelton expressed frustration with laws in progressive cities like New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles that often favor squatters, saying similar legalese was at play.

More than 13,000 people have commented on his video since he posted it in January, with many thanking him for his “decency” while minding his business. Shelton did not show the faces of the two women squatting in her mother’s house

He says he tries to change these laws but mainly works to help those who face the same problems.

‘I do Zoom consultations. I ask people to donate to the cause. And when I can physically go out and help them, then yes, it is. It’s something I do to help people now, as much as I personally can,” Shelton said.

He launched a Change.org petition to try to make squatting illegal which has already gathered 7,500 signatures.

“This will shift the burden of proof onto the squatter and make the recoverable crime an option for damages,” he wrote in the petition.

According to Shelton, several months ago, a family of squatters broke into her mother’s vacant house and began living there.

Shelton said her father recently passed away and they put the house up for rent because her mother couldn’t live there on her own.

A woman who told Shelton she was a prison guard asked to rent the house, but he refused as she said she had no money or credit.

That didn’t seem to stop him, however, as he later learned that a truckload of belongings had been brought to the house.

“She said it was delivered by accident and she was getting rid of it,” Shelton said.

This was a lie, however, as Shelton was later found out by friends and real estate agents that the house was full of people and furniture.

Shelton called the police and received an unhelpful response.

“They basically said, ‘You know, I’m sorry, but we can’t get into the house, and it looks like they’re living there. So you have to go through the courts,” Shelton said.

In his caption, the handyman said he knew about “squatters’ rights” stories, but didn’t know he would have to deal with a situation personally.

“I had heard horror stories of how the legal system gave the squatter more rights than the landlord, so I decided to find a way myself to get them out in less than a day. “, wrote Shelton.

In her video, Shelton said her father recently passed away and they put the house up for rent because her mother couldn’t live there on her own.

“She said it was delivered by accident and she was getting rid of it,” Shelton said of the squatters who had taken up residence in her mother’s house.

“I had heard horror stories of how the legal system gave the squatter more rights than the landlord, so I decided to find a way myself to get them out in less than a day. “Shelton said.

Doing more research, the man said he learned how long it could take to go through the courts and evict squatters.

Fed up with the situation, Shelton – who does not live in northern California where the house is located – packed up his car and drove to the property.

“Even if you are at home and paying the mortgage…at some point the squatters feel like they have more rights than you do so they have no incentive to leave until a judge tell them to do it,” he said. said.

“And it could take months, six months, it could take years. I don’t know. I didn’t want to take that risk,’ Shelton said in the 20-minute video.

Shelton decided he would write up a lease and credit himself as a resident of the house.

He then parked his Jeep on the street where the house is with guns and his dog and waited for hours for everyone to leave.

After seeing all the family members leave, he let himself use his keys, then walked around the house and started installing security cameras.

As he was working outside, two women approached him. “I’m so sorry for all of this,” one of the women said. “It’s a nightmare and beyond.”

Shelton calmly and coldly told the woman that they only had a few hours to get it all out. He disguised their faces with a black and white filter in the clip he posted.

Shelton told the woman that if she hadn’t got it all out by midnight, he would get it out himself.

The threat appeared to work as the family was evacuated hours later.

“I think just the fact that I was there was enough,” he said. “It was really fun to do it. I won’t lie about it. I’m glad it worked out.

Fed up with the situation, Shelton – who doesn’t live in northern California where the house is located – packed up and drove to the property.

“I’m so sorry for all of this,” one of the women said. “It’s a nightmare and beyond”

Shelton calmly and coldly told the woman that they only had a few hours to get it all out

Shelton told her that if she didn’t get it all out by midnight, he’d get it out.

His video has now inspired others across the country who are dealing with their own squatting situations to try to take matters into their own hands.

Although he has become an inspiration, Shelton said he advises extreme caution.

“I’m not suggesting that everyone take a chance like I did on my own. It should be noted that I received special training, a carrying license and was prepared for any situation that would show up,” the handyman said.

“The men and women I have dealt with have remained peaceful and that may not always be the case. If you ever have a situation like this, it is better to expect the worst and you will be prepared.