In the US, a man became a squatter to expel other squatters from his mother's house

In many countries, squatters are becoming a serious problem for property owners. It is worth leaving your house unattended, as "self-settlers" appear in it, which are very difficult to evict. Flash Shelton, a resident of California, faced a similar situation. His mother's family left for some time in Nevada, and at this time new tenants - squatters - settled in their house. They brought with them a whole truckload of furniture and other belongings. Of course, they refused to demand to get out.

Like any other respectable US citizen, Shelton went to the police. But there he was informed that law enforcement officers did not have the authority to evict squatters. The cops advised me to go to court, which was not the best option. The man knew that such cases could drag on for years and tens of thousands of dollars would have to be spent on lawyers.

So Shelton decided to go his own way. He signed a contract with his mother to rent a house, and then showed up there with a weapon and a dog. He chose a moment when the squatters weren't there. Flash calmly set up surveillance cameras around the rooms and sat down to wait for the "new owners."

When the squatters showed up, the armed man had an educational conversation with them. He warned that he rented this house and that all provocations would be recorded by the camera. The violators of property rights had no choice but to pack their things and get out. The whole operation, including preparation, took Shelton only a couple of hours. After that, his mother was able to return home, which was incredibly happy.

If you ask a search engine who squatters are, you will surely see images of dirty and ragged people and shabby interiors. But in fact, self-occupied housing enthusiasts are usually decent young people. Often they even have university degrees. They manage to take possession of someone else's property due to the shortcomings of the legislation.

In some US states, since the Civil War, empty houses have been allowed to be occupied and lived in. Approximately the same situation in the UK and several other Western countries. In California, it is almost impossible to drive burglars out of your home. If at the time of filing a lawsuit, strangers have lived in the house for more than three days, then they are no longer considered criminals.

It is possible to evict squatters by court order, but this is a troublesome and costly business. The thing is that in the USA these people are entitled to a free lawyer. But the plaintiff must pay for legal assistance out of his own pocket. It seems that it could be easier than to come to your house with strong friends and expose the occupiers. But in the USA it is forbidden to evict squatters by force! You cannot not only drive them out by force or at gunpoint, but even turn off their gas and light.

Everything is logical, because occupying an empty house is not a crime. But its owner, getting excited, he himself may be in the dock. Squatters can live on someone else's square meters without fear. If they keep their housing in order and regularly pay utility bills, then the law is on their side. But that's not all. If the burglars have lived in someone else's house for 5 years and maintained it in good condition, then they can claim ownership of the property.