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Harley Young
A handyman from Nevada decided to turn the tables on squatters that had taken over his mom's home.
Flash Shelton, executive director of United Handyman Association explained in a YouTube video that trouble had started after his father passed away and his mother had put the family home in California up for rent due to no longer being able to live there.
A woman, who Shelton said claimed to be a prison guard, reached out to him asking to fill the vacancy but couldn't offer any money or credit towards it.
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Shelton turned the woman down, but she persisted and continued to move in without his permission.
“She ended up having a truck of furniture, and literally moved into the house,” Shelton said.
“I started hearing from Realtors …. saying that there is this lady and people in the house and a house full of furniture.”
Shelton then received reports from neighbours who had seen 'lights on in the property' during the evening and cars pulling up on the driveway.
Shelton looked for help from local police and the sheriff's department, but was allegedly told that it was out of their hands.
“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'.” explained Shelton.
So, the handyman came up with a plan to play the squatters at their own game.
And his thought process was simple.
“All I needed to do at that point was do the same thing they did, and occupy the house,” he said.
“If they can take a house, I can take a house.”
He said he got his mother to write up a 'lease agreement' to make him the legal tenant of the property and loaded his car, packing his gun 'just in case' and set off towards California from Nevada.
Arriving at the property at 4am, he then waited for the pair to leave and entered the building while they were out. 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.”