After a couple in Texas claims they were assaulted by a contractor who won’t leave their fixer-upper property, they are asking that politicians do something to stop the brave act of squatting.
Squatting is when a person enters a dwelling or land they have no ownership of and occupy it.
The contractor allegedly refused to leave a San Antonio house after being sacked from the job by Yudith Matthews and Abram Mendez, who had hired him to install tiles. They claim he has moved in, but the cops aren’t going to do anything.
The contractor, who the couple stated suffers from gout, requested permission to remain on the property for the project’s duration. Following their agreement, they drafted a contract, which he happily signed. Mendez videoed the signing.
Mendez claims the squatter seized his phone and deleted the footage.
They had hoped the whole project would take no more than a few weeks, but the contractor was let go after he continued to come up with reasons why he couldn’t complete the work. Once fired, he wouldn’t leave the property.
There has been no resolution despite Mendez and Matthews’ repeated visits to the police. The police supposedly informed them that the squatter had the right to remain in the residence and that the case was a civil rather than a criminal matter.
The guy allegedly refused to leave and brought further personal possessions to the residence despite the constable’s office ordering him to do so within 72 hours. That is when they decided to see an attorney.
Tensions between the squatter and the homeowners only became worse.
While posting the home with an eviction notice, the squatter allegedly pushed Matthews. According to their account, the police reportedly asked the squatter about filing charges against the couple for obstructing his right of way.
During the ordeal, the squatter allegedly caused the couple almost $2,000 of damage to their property.
According to Mendez, he has already spent hundreds of dollars on the eviction procedure alone. He claims that towns are using the increasing number of squatters to increase their revenue.