When Chula Vista, California, real estate broker Irma Mendez bought a boarded-up home prior to foreclosure, she had no idea she’d be walking into a 10-month legal battle with an alleged squatter.
In a video on Instagram, Mendez showed the aftermath of the occupant’s time in the home, including extensive property damage and racist graffiti.
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Mendez said that when she tried to take possession of the property after purchase, offering the alleged squatter “cash for keys,” the man refused to leave.
“This person just made himself at home. He went in there, put the [San Diego Gas & Electric account] under his name, and his water is paid for under the HOA, so basically he had free housing,” Mendez told The New York Post.
After a 10-month process, “he got out; he did show up to court demanding he stay longer,” Mendez said. Eventually, the man fled before he could be removed by the local sheriff’s department, but by that time, the home had suffered significant damage.
Undeterred, Mendez told the Post she has not been scared off by the experience and has renovated the property and found a new tenant.
According to NBC’s San Diego affiliate, data from the San Diego Superior Court shows that more than 9,000 “unlawful detainer” cases were filed last year, and all of them were handled by a single judge. For property owners, dealing with squatters requires recourse to the court system, as police will not intervene.
“Purchasing properties with squatters does not scare me,” Mendez wrote in a recent Instagram post. “Takes lots of patience & a good attorney!! California protects these despicable free loaders[. It] takes on average 9 to 12 months to complete an eviction. Landlords be very careful who you rent to.”
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