This was a year when Americans finally had enough. They were tired of crime and, even worse, being told that criminals had more rights than they did. Take, for instance, Flash Shelton, who in 2019 discovered squatters had moved into his mother's home while she was away. They claimed to have a lease but didn't. He called the police and, this being California, was told that the illegal occupants possessed rights and that he would have to take it up in civil court. Shelton, however, had other ideas.
When the squatters were out, Shelton moved in. He installed cameras. He held the actual lease. He gave them a taste of their own medicine and they subsequently moved out. Earlier this year, Shelton posted a video of the encounter, and by year's end, not only did that footage go viral, but also Shelton had a thriving business: SquatterHunters.com.
Across the country—but especially in blue states such as Shelton's California—tenants' rights have metastasized into squatters' rights, and rules meant for landlords and apartments have now extended to people's homes. Homeowners were being arrested while squatters destroyed their property. Shelton has been putting an end to this, one house at a time.
After watching, waiting, and studying the squatters' daily routines, the Squatter Hunter (as Shelton is known) goes into action: He'll change the locks, install ring cameras, and film the squatters while threatening to embarrass them on the internet. If that doesn't work, he will move in with five or six other friends and, in his words, "turn it into a reality show." He'll even do "renovations" involving chainsaws. (Our strategy would have involved several cans of baked beans.)
Shelton, an ex-bouncer, is quick to remind homeowners to document encounters and never go alone. He carries a Glock and is experienced with deescalation tactics (he also wears a baseball cap that says "Get Out"). As Shelton told John Stossel, "They are not homeless people. They're criminals. They're people that are taking advantage of the system."
Until now. Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill ending squatters' rights in Florida. Standing behind the governor was Flash Shelton, the Squatter Hunter himself and, now, a 2024 Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year.
