Latest news with #WindsorMill
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Homeowner stunned to discover family living in renovated property he was getting ready to sell
A family who thought they were moving into their dream home were shocked to find out they had fallen for a 'squatter scam'. Homeowner Mike Haskell believed he was just hours away from finalizing the sale of his newly renovated home in Windsor Mill, Baltimore. But what began as a routine real estate transaction suddenly turned into a housing nightmare which turned out to be a sham. The day before closing the deal, Haskell received a phone call from a prospective buyer that upended everything. He told a local news outlet: 'The buyer last night drove by and saw a moving truck in the driveway. They thought it was maybe being unstaged for advertising. I said, "No, that was done way earlier. There should be nobody there".' When Haskell raced to the house, he saw a U-Haul van parked in the driveway, the locks had changed, and the for-sale sign had suddenly been removed. Inside, a couple and their two small children had been living comfortably for at least a week and claimed they had a legal right to be there - despite Haskell owning the property. According to the couple, they moved in after finding the property through an ad posted on social media offering access to a so-called 'last resort' home for a one-time payment of just $7,500 in cash. The pair said they met the poster of the advert outside the Windsor Mill property, handed over the money, and signed what appeared to be a lease. The family moved in claiming they were completely unaware that their lease was in fact worthless. The family ultimately acknowledged they were 'unlawfully occupying' the home and that their presence had jeopardized Haskell's pending sale. When Haskell called Baltimore County Police, he expected swift action but officers classified the situation a civil matter, despite there being clear signs of fraudulent entry. According to the official report, the case was treated not as a criminal offense, but as a landlord-tenant dispute. Civil courts are often the only recourse for homeowners facing unauthorized occupation, and the legal process to remove squatters can drag on for months or years, even for those with fake or nonexistent leases. Attorney Bruce Ailion said: 'It is currently more difficult to get squatters out than getting a delinquent tenant out.' 'The key to protecting yourself from squatters is preventing them from entering in the first place,' Ailion added, urging property owners to invest in cameras, high-grade locks, and regular surveillance. What makes the case especially alarming is the organized nature of the scam. Victims who are often vulnerable families in desperate need of housing are asked to pay lump sums in cash in exchange for fraudulent documents and access to homes they do not legally control. Haskell said: 'These are not isolated incidents. They know who the scammer is, and I'm not quite sure why an arrest has not been made.' He claims the woman who showed the property to the couple is actively orchestrating similar scams across the county. Despite her alleged involvement in multiple cases, she has not been charged. 'I want to see law enforcement, prosecutors, and government officials hold these people accountable,' Haskell added. Desperate to salvage the sale of his home, Haskell ultimately agreed to a 'cash for keys' deal, a controversial tactic in which a property owner pays the unauthorized occupants to leave quietly. He handed over $3,000 in cash to the couple, who then agreed to vacate. At one point, the man who was illegally occupying the home reportedly asked Haskell: 'It would be nice if I could get compensated something… like a hotel? Something? Money?' David Metzger, a real estate attorney, advises sellers to proceed with caution. He said: 'As soon as you list a home for sale or lease, invest in cameras and security systems.'
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Family of squatters move into home after it sold, change locks
A US homeowner had the surprise of his life when he discovered a family allegedly squatting in his home. Mike Haskell had spent tens of thousands renovating his four-bedroom house in Windsor Mill, Maryland. He was 24-hours away from finalising the sale of his property when he received a phone call. By the next morning, he'd learned that an unknown family of four had been living on the property for at least a week — without his permission, Realtor reports. 'There should be nobody there' Speaking with Spotlight on Maryland, Mr Haskell explained that his buyer actually alerted him to the squatters. They had spotted a moving truck parked outside the property and called Mr Haskell to see what was up. 'They thought it was maybe being unstaged for advertising, and I said, 'No, that was done way earlier. There should be nobody there,'' Mr Haskell said. According to Mr Haskell, he was forced to call the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) after he and his colleagues noticed that the locks on the property had been changed, and the sale sign had been removed from the front yard. The police treated the initial call as a 'civil matter,' according to documents obtained by Spotlight on Maryland. No official charges or arrests were made, and the squatters were not removed. When the local outlet came to check in on the situation themselves with Mr Haskell, they approached the family, who confessed to Spotlight that they were 'unlawfully occupying Mr Haskell's property and recognised that their presence allegedly interfered with an active sale to prospective buyers'. Speaking with the outlet, a man and a woman explained how they found the home through a social media advertisement offering a one-time fee of $US7500 ($A11,500) to move into the Windsor Mill property. They met the poster at Mr Haskell's home, handed over a cash payment, and signed a lease document before moving in, which they shared with the reporter. The couple refused to share the original advertisement they allegedly saw online. In the end, Mr Haskell was able to persuade the family, who had two young children, to leave the property and hand over the keys for $US3,000 ($A4,600). Removing squatters isn't easy According to Realtor, once a squatter has made their way into a home, it's very difficult to have them removed. Experts agree that the best way to ensure squatters can't get access to your home is to make sure the property is monitored regularly, even when it's not occupied. 'The key to protecting yourself from squatters is preventing them from entering in the first place,' real estate professional and lawyer Bruce Ailion, of Re/Max Town & Country in Atlanta, told Realtor. In Mr Haskell's case, the family not only entered the home, but the locks were changed as well, giving them a level of access synonymous with ownership. Mr Ailion advises forgoing cheap locks and deadbolts, which he suggests can be opened 'in about 10 seconds.' Instead, he recommends buying directly from a locksmith, who has 'higher-grade locks that are hard to compromise.' 'As soon as you list a home for sale or lease, invest in cameras and security systems,' adds David Metzger, a lawyer at Williams Teusink, a real estate firm in Atlanta. In Australia, homeowners should immediately issue a formal notice of trespass upon discovering squatters. According to James & Jaramillo Lawyers, 'the occupants have no legal right to be on the property and must vacate immediately'. 'If squatters refuse to leave, seek legal advice promptly. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to apply for an interim possession order,' the website states. 'This court order allows for quick removal of trespassers and restoration of the property to the rightful owner. 'Keep detailed records of all interactions with unauthorised occupants and any damage to the property. 'These documents can be crucial if legal proceedings become necessary.' Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and the New York Post and were republished with permission.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Family who moved into newly-renovated home is stunned to discover they are squatters amid worrying trend
A family who thought they were moving into their a dream home instead walked into the middle of a housing nightmare in the latest 'squatter scam' that is sweeping the country. Homeowner Mike Haskell believed he was just hours away from finalizing the sale of a freshly renovated four-bedroom, two-bath property in the quiet suburb of Windsor Mill, just outside Baltimore. Haskell had poured tens of thousands of dollars into the home refurbishing it with new fixtures, modern appliances, and even professional staging. But what began as a routine real estate transaction suddenly turned into a bizarre and costly standoff with strangers who should never have even been there in the first place. The day before closing, Haskell received a simple phone call from a prospective buyer that upended everything. 'The buyer last night drove by and saw a moving truck in the driveway. They thought it was maybe being unstaged for advertising,' Haskell told WJLA. 'I said, "No, that was done way earlier. There should be nobody there."' When Haskell raced to the home that he was selling, what he saw left him stunned: a U-Haul was parked in the driveway, the locks had changed, and the for-sale sign had suddenly been removed. Inside, a man and woman together with their two small children looked to be have been living comfortably for at least a week and claimed they had a legal right to be there - despite Haskell owning the property. The family hadn't randomly broken into the home nor snuck into a property they believed to be abandoned. According to the couple, they moved in after finding the property through an ad posted on social media offering access to so-called 'last resort' home for a one-time payment of just $7,500 in cash. The pair said they met the poster of the advert outside the Windsor Mill property, handed over the money, and signed what appeared to be a lease - despite the fact that the person making the transaction had no legal ownership or control of the home. The family moved in claiming they were completely unaware that their lease was in fact worthless. 'I really did lose my money,' the man told ABC7. 'But… where do we get compensated at?' The family ultimately acknowledged they were 'unlawfully occupying' the home and that their presence had jeopardized Haskell's pending sale. When Haskell called Baltimore County Police, he expected swift action but officers classified the situation a civil matter, despite there being clear signs of fraudulent entry. According to the official report the case was treated not as a criminal offense, but as a landlord-tenant dispute. Such bureaucratic bottlenecks are becoming increasingly common across the US with the scam appearing to play on rising housing insecurity and legal loopholes that are ripe for exploitation. Civil courts are often the only recourse for homeowners facing unauthorized occupation, and the legal process to remove squatters can drag on for months or years, even for those those with fake or nonexistent leases. 'It is currently more difficult to get squatters out than getting a delinquent tenant out,' said attorney Bruce Ailion of Re/Max Town & Country to 'The key to protecting yourself from squatters is preventing them from entering in the first place,' Ailion said, urging property owners to invest in cameras, high-grade locks, and regular surveillance. What makes the case especially alarming is the organized nature of the scam. According to Spotlight on Maryland, several houses across Baltimore County have been fraudulently listed by users promoting 'last resort' homes on social media platforms. Victims who are often vulnerable families in desperate need of housing are asked to pay lump sums in cash in exchange for fraudulent documents and access to homes they do not legally control. One ad posted on social media offered access to so-called 'last resort' or 'squatter homes' for a one-time payment of just $7,500 in cash 'These are not isolated incidents. They know who [the scammer] is, and I'm not quite sure why an arrest has not been made,' Haskell said. Haskell claims the woman who showed the property to the couple is actively orchestrating similar scams across the county. Despite her alleged involvement in multiple cases, she has not been charged. 'I want to see law enforcement, prosecutors, and government officials hold these people accountable,' Haskell said. Desperate to salvage the sale of his home, Haskell ultimately agreed to a 'cash for keys' deal - a controversial tactic in which a property owner pays the unauthorized occupants to leave quietly. He handed over $3,000 in cash to the couple, who then agreed to vacate and surrender the keys. The family then packed their belongings back into the U-Haul and drove off. At one point, the man had turned to Haskell to ask him for recompense. 'It would be nice if I could get compensated something… like a hotel? Something? Money?' David Metzger, a real estate attorney, advises sellers to proceed with caution. 'As soon as you list a home for sale or lease, invest in cameras and security systems.' But even those may not be enough. Once inside, squatters gain a legal foothold that makes eviction an uphill battle.
