Flash Shelton, known as the “Squatter Hunter,” works to help homeowners reclaim their properties when they have been squatted by “crack addicts, gang members,” or other unwanted guests. He announced that he was “organizing an army” across the United States.
Mr. Shelton, who lives with squatters and makes life difficult for them in order to evict them, recruits primarily “former law enforcement” members to join and expand his team of squatters hunters. He told the Post that he is in the process of hiring. People who can help fill jobs in as many states as possible.
“We go everywhere to take care of squatters,” Shelton said, adding that he has received “hundreds” of requests to join the team.
“(I) go with at least two guys.
“If I have a bad guy with 20 drug addicts or gang members or whatever, I’m going to match them with whatever they need.”
Shelton said business is booming, with requests pouring in from U.S. homeowners from Tennessee and California to Georgia and beyond to evict squatters from their homes.
The National Rental Housing Council previously identified the cities with the highest number of reported squatter incidents, with 1,200 occupied properties in Atlanta, 475 occupied properties in Dallas, and 125 occupied properties in Orlando. According to Newsweek magazine. However, this phenomenon has not been well reported or studied, and there is a lack of data on how many squatters there actually are across the country.
Shelton charges from $150 for a consultation up to $20,000 if he and his team live with squatters and use a variety of unconventional methods to evict them.
“I’ve traveled from coast to coast (for work). I just got back from New York, Florida, Arizona, Seattle and Illinois,” he said.
“Most people I talk to spend $20,000 to $30,000 on legal fees and still have squatters.
“If you’re lucky, this is how you can rescue the squatters.” [through the courts]six or eight months later.
“I have some [homeowners] In New York, I spend over $100,000 a year and still have squatters contacting me. ”
Eventually, Shelton plans to develop a large enough team of squatter hunters to operate independently across the country without his direct involvement.
“We’re trying to keep costs down for homeowners because homeowners are paying the money.” [for my team to] I travel,” he said.
“So if you can go to Florida and you already have a team there that can recruit guys, you can say, ‘Okay, Joe, let’s meet at this address and we’re joining today.'”
“My goal is to train someone to be a supervisor at each location and have one person take my place.”
Now, Shelton coordinates and directs all operations booked by desperate homeowners to him.
Shelton begins each takeover with a consultation with law enforcement to ensure everyone’s safety.
“I will ask [law enforcement] Tell the squatters that it’s a civil matter. “And at that point, if it’s safe and the squatters know what their rights are and what my rights are, then at that point law enforcement has immunity.”
He then approaches the squatters and tries to negotiate with them, giving them every reason why they need to leave immediately.
“I tell them, ‘I’m going to expose you and make squatters famous… Google me, watch my YouTube, look at my subscribers. You, you. reveals everything about your family, your life, your work, and social media.
“Everyone is going to know that you’re squatting. And every landlord in this country is going to know your face and your name and you’re going to be exposed and you’re not going to rent out your house,” he said. Told.
“People want to get away as quickly as possible and don’t want to be seen.”
When he fails to persuade the squatters to voluntarily vacate his home, he brings out his big guns.
At this point, Shelton moved in with the squatters, armed with a rental agreement written by the homeowner and equipment including a headlamp, pepper spray and a gun.
“I basically become a tenant and get to live with them until they choose to leave on their own,” he said.
“I walk into my house, sit on the couch, open the fridge, and basically go, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing, but this is my home.’
“Not only are they surprised, they don’t know how to react.”
One of his most effective tactics is to install Ring cameras in every room, tell the squatters they’re on a reality show, and get them to pack up.
Shelton said he never feared for his life while dealing with squatters, but said he was subjected to endless verbal attacks and was aware of the dangers involved. . That’s why he likes to hire former law enforcement members on his team.
Shelton said he was certified in de-escalation tactics in his previous job, which he said helps him in his current job.
“Being certified as a de-escalator allows you to remain calm and take control of the situation without getting angry, exaggerating or letting your emotions run wild,” he said. .
Shelton said if squatters temporarily leave the home, they will act quickly to ensure the home is safe.
“I already eliminated them before they knew what was going on,” he said.
Trespassing is illegal throughout the United States, but each state has different laws regarding how to deal with squatters, and most rely on civil courts to resolve disputes.
“These people don’t care who they affect or who they hurt,” Shelton said of the squatters.
He added that his method is highly effective and has an almost 100 percent success rate in evicting squatters.
