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He thought it would be a simple call to law enforcement.
Instead, when intruders took over his late father’s home in 2019, “Squatters” host Flash Shelton says he was told there was nothing deputies could do. The moment flipped everything he thought he knew about property rights, the reality TV star told Fox News Digital.
Shelton, who had moved his mother into his own home while the family was grieving, had an instinct to protect his family.
Shelton explained what would shock most Americans isn’t just that squatters can occupy homes, it’s how the law treats them once they’re inside.
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Flash Shelton stars in “Squatters,” which premiered May 12. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“All of the rights, not just some of the rights, but all of the rights fall to the squatter,” he said. Shelton added that many homeowners would be surprised to hear “that a squatter just has to create reasonable doubt to be given full rights as a tenant. That there isn’t a system in place that says that you have to have a lease, or you have to be able to show rent payments to be a tenant. That if you have possession you have rights.”
In his experience, homeowners don’t stand a chance.
“Squatters figure out different ways to take properties, and they know what to say,” Shelton noted. “The whole system is wrong.”
Shelton claimed some squatters even secure leases with false promises of paying rent. Once that lease is in place, he explained, they are treated as full tenants.
“Every single other contract would be null and void if you enter it, and you sign it under fraudulent means,” he explained.
“Originally, the system was designed because they were looking at homeowners as being rich, and they were looking at tenants as being poor,” Shelton said. “So they created a system to level those terms. But what they forgot is the fact that homeowners are not all rich and just because you own a mortgage, doesn’t mean that you have money. It is unfavorably unbalanced right now and it is failing homeowners.”
Flash Shelton gained fame after his confrontations with squatters went viral on social media. (FOX via Getty Images)
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And when it comes to lawmakers who defend the system?
“I think they need to understand and try to relate to somebody that doesn’t have the money to go through these situations and understand that some of these people are losing homes over this because they can’t afford to fight.”
Shelton carved out a niche in the digital space as an anti-squatter activist turned content creator, gaining widespread attention for his viral “Squatter Hunter” videos. His popularity led to the creation of the A&E show “Squatters.” He used social media to shed a light on this homeowner issue by uploading viral TikTok confrontations with alleged squatters, YouTube long-form breakdowns of property disputes and collaborations with homeowners documenting eviction standoffs.
WATCH: ‘SQUATTERS’ HOST FLASH SHELTON USES HANDYMAN RUSE TO CONFRONT ALLEGED SQUATTER IN HOME
His latest venture, “Squatters,” focuses on him and his team as they help homeowners across the country.
While some critics have labeled Shelton’s tactics aggressive, he insists he operates within the law. When he first worked to get his parents’ home back, Shelton figured out a way to mirror the same legal framework he says squatters exploit.
“I had to take it into my own hands and figure it out, and I learned everything about squatters,” Shelton said. “I figured out that if they could take the house, I could take the house, and I was gonna go take my house back.”
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Shelton recalled accusing him of being a vigilante as he took matters into his own hands.
“I do a lot to make sure that I am working within the guidelines of law,” he emphasized to Fox News Digital. “Not only to protect myself, but also to protect the homeowners.”
“Squatters” follows Flash Shelton’s team as he helps families take back their homes from intruders. (A&E)
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He added, “I am taking the laws and, in a way I’m doing similar to what like – squatters are taking a law that allows them to do something, and they are taking a home.”
“I am doing things in a legal way to take the home back, and I’m not going in with firearms in any way,” Shelton explained. “I am not putting myself or my team in harm. We are doing a lot of research to make sure that everyone is going to be safe … not everyone is going to agree with what I do. But how I defend what I do is preparation research and I do everything that I can to make sure that it’s safe and legal.”
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With the premiere of “Squatters” on May 12, Shelton said his goal is to raise awareness and help families across America who can’t afford to fight.
“The thing that I’m most excited about the show is that it gives me an opportunity to bring even more awareness and most importantly, help more families across America,” he said. “Because I was bringing awareness prior to the show, but I think this just helps me take it to another level and a whole new audience. And it enables me to help more families.”