The Landa family struggles to evict would-be squatters from their $2 million dream home, accused of trying to financially bleed them by abusing utility bills and causing sewage flooding He told Fox News Digital.
“He knows very well the system and how to make ends meet on his own, without a lawyer, living rent-free, renting out rooms, earning money, vandalizing,” Joseph Landa said. insisted. He said others can learn from their stories about the difficulties of dealing with squatters, and hopefully show “what kind of situation they might end up in in certain situations.” I hope.
Brett Flores, 32, lived and worked at the Douglaston home, caring for Bernand Fernandez, 80, until Fernandez passed away on January 12, 2023. Flores refused to leave the house, claiming Fernandez had given him permission to stay, said court attorney Anthony Mordente. Landa family.
The Landa family, which claims to have lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, bought the home that Flores allegedly occupied illegally for $2 million, according to a post on Zillow. It’s next door to their home, and they wanted their sons to live there and help care for their younger brother, who has Down syndrome, especially after their parents died, ABC 7 said.
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Denis O’Sullivan, Flores’ attorney, is expected to release a statement Friday that he claims will “turn the narrative on its head” and suggest the Landa family “is not the victims they have described.” However, he decided to postpone the release.
Mr O’Sullivan said he did not know whether his client had a job and did not provide further comment when contacted on Friday.
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Mordente, the family’s attorney, said Flores had demanded “more than $100,000,” claiming he was in debt and would leave the house once the money was paid. And the Landas said Friday they had offered to pay his demands.
“We were ready to call it quits, but when we met someone who looked at his record and gave us an overview of his past behavior, we started to get really scared.” Susana Landa said, adding that it was the impetus to hire a security guard. guard.
Brett Flores, 32, is in the backyard of the house the Landa family bought next door. (Courtesy of the Landa family)
“The money is on the table. We offered the money to the lawyer in front of the judge in court and he said, ‘It’s not enough,'” she added. “So we have the money and that’s okay, but it’s painful, but we know what we’re going to face, and it’s going to be a complete tearing apart of the house.”
Flores is being accused by the Landas of having a clogged sump that allowed water to seep into their backyard, causing it to flood. Video provided to Fox News Digital showed a hole in the ground exposing the entrance to the sewer. The excavation required the Landas to tear out the porch that ran along the side of the house and remove much of the plants growing in the garden, leaving a nearly barren area.
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The Landas would not reveal the identity of the person who provided the information about Flores’ alleged past conduct or the full amount of money provided to him. Mr O’Sullivan also did not comment Thursday when asked about his client’s alleged demand for money to vacate the premises.
Even more frustrating, the Landas say their background information shows Flores has “done this before” in other states, including California and Ohio. This means that it has become clear.
The Landas say neighbors have complained about Ms. Flores, and they especially sympathize with the neighbor across the street from the disputed home. It’s out of our control.”
Mr. Flores is said to have been using the property to rent out rooms, and the Landas and others claim that Mr. Fernandez had been renting out rooms since before his death. Flores has been caring for Fernandez for more than two years and is believed to have started renting her a room as early as October 2022.
Flores advertised on Homesta, a hospitality site similar to Airbnb, offering to rent out “private rooms” in her home for $50 a night, welcoming “men, women, couples, families, and students” as prospective tenants. There is. One screenshot provided by the Landas showed a confirmation letter from a prospective tenant paying $2,650 for the King’s Room in March 2024.
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“Even though the original owner was there with a disability. [Flores] “He was renting it and he was probably going to say to the owner, ‘This is a friend of mine and he’s here for a few days,’ and during that time he was collecting money from all these people,” Joseph Landa said. insisted.
Flores also accused the family of keeping the lights and heat on all night, “opening the windows and keeping the lights on 24/7,” and trying to increase the bill from $3,200 to $3,800. He is also accused of trying to “punish” the police.
Squatters in New York are protected from such treatment, especially during the winter, so the couple cannot turn off their utility bills. Homeowners in dispute must go through court to evict squatters. And even if the Landas were successful, they would not be able to personally remove Flores and would need the assistance of the sheriff’s office.
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If Landas tries to force Flores out by cutting his utility bills, he will be fined. In response to suggestions that their approach to Mr. Flores could be seen as “blackmail,” the Landas denied that was the case.
Landas and Flores are scheduled to next appear in court in April.
