Joe Yates
Squatters took control of his mom's home, so a handyman from Nevada decided to give them a taste of their own medicine.
The situation started when Flash Shelton's dad sadly passed away, and since his mom was living alone at their family home in California, the decision was made for her to move out and for them to start renting the house.
So how did the squatting come about?
The executive director of United Handyman Association later took to YouTube in 2023 to explain how it all started - and what he did to finish it.
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It all began when a woman, who he said had claimed to be a prison guard, got in touch with Shelton hoping to fill the vacancy but explained how she was unable to offer any money or credit towards it.
Obviously, he turned her down, but that didn't stop her from contacting him repeatedly until she finally decided to move in without his permission.
Neighbors and the estate agent soon contacted him to report that there were 'lights on in the property' and cars in the driveway.
“I started hearing from realtors …. saying that there is this lady and people in the house and a house full of furniture," Shelton said.
“She ended up having a truck of furniture, and literally moved into the house."
Shelton looked for help from local police and the sheriff's department, but was allegedly told that it was out of their hands.
He said: “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'."
So the handyman came up with a plan to play the squatters at their own game. And his thought process was simple.
Shelton said: “All I needed to do at that point was do the same thing they did, and occupy the house.
“If they can take a house, I can take a house.”
The handyman got his mom to write up a 'lease agreement' to make him the legal tenant of the property. From there, he loaded his car with everything he may need - including a gun 'just in case' - and drove 10 hours to California from Nevada.
He arrived at the property at 4am and waited patiently until they left the house before entering.
Upon their return, they were shocked to find him there, telling them they needed to get out and take their stuff with them as soon as they could.
Surprisingly, the squatters were polite about the situation and apologised for the trouble they had caused, saying: “I’m really sorry about all this,” and left with their belongings the following 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."
Then, in a follow-up video, Shelton cautioned viewers and warned them not to follow in his footsteps, in case they weren't fortunate enough to have the situation end amicably.
“Not everyone should walk through that door not knowing what you’re gonna find,” he said.
“It’s not always going to be peaceful like that.”