You worked hard your whole life. You saved for a down payment and bought your dream home. The neighborhood is great, and you never have to worry about crime. The only thing your local police department has to do is hand out the occasional parking ticket.
You did everything right — and you thought you were safe from the scourge of squatters who can only take over in “bad neighborhoods.”
You were wrong.
The Daily Caller’s new documentary, “American Squatter,” exposes the dirtiest secret in the housing market: squatters are king. And they can take over anywhere — even in tony Beverly Hills.
“American Squatter” is available exclusively for Patriots subscribers. Catch a first glimpse below.
No one knows Los Angeles better than John Woodward.
He’s been a realtor in the city for 45 years, selling homes to some of the biggest names in the business. David Bowie, Mick Jagger, even Rihanna — name them, and he’s probably sold them a home.
So when he was asked if he wanted to sell a multi-million dollar mansion across the street from LeBron James, “Of course I said yes.”
Woodward is just one of the many landlords and property owners the Daily Caller’s investigative team sat down with for “American Squatter.” But the story of 1316 Beverly Grove Place in Beverly Hills isn’t just something out of a movie — it’s straight out of every homeowner’s worst nightmare.
Soon after taking the listing, Woodward got a call from the pool boy letting him know that someone had shown up with a U-Haul to move in. He hadn’t sold the house yet, so he drove down to see what was going on.
Once there, he did what every responsible citizen would do. He called the police to report an active crime; these people were breaking into his house. When the police showed up, the squatters produced a fake lease even though Woodward protested. But that’s all it takes in liberal Los Angeles.
With the fake lease, the crime scene became a simple civil matter, and Woodward was forced to fight for an eviction in a backlogged and ideologically crippled court system.
“These guys are professional squatters,” Woodward told The Daily Caller. “They know what they’re doing, they know they’re going to eventually be kicked out of there, but they get a free place in a nice neighborhood before the legal system kicks in.”
And boy did the squatters enjoy their time. The quiet, affluent neighborhood turned into the biggest party street in Los Angeles. For months, the squatters hosted all-night raves filled with hundreds of people, illicit drug use and thumping dance music that lasted into the morning. They even allegedly sold entry to the parties, making thousands off the stolen property.
It was so brazen, you would think the police would shut it down after one night — especially in a ritzy neighborhood like Beverly Hills. That’s all we hear from the media these days; the police only care about helping rich white people.
Tell that to Fran Solomon, the neighbor who was forced to flee her dream home when police refused to do anything about the parties for months on end.
“They were loud, they were disruptive. The fire trucks would come in, the police would come in. The neighbors would be calling the police and nothing was able to be done about this,” Solomon explained to the Daily Caller.
“We realized that they were squatters,” she continued, “and squatters, I guess, have rights.”
This wasn’t just a case of uptight neighbors. The home might have been destroyed, but the whole neighborhood was put at risk. Drunk drivers routinely sped around the curvy cliff side neighborhood. The squatters’ pitbull wandered around unleashed. And party goers routinely spilled into neighboring properties.
And still, the police did nothing. They couldn’t. The system is designed to protect squatters no matter how much chaos and abuse they sow.
Finally, the squatters were removed — only after months of a media frenzy. Squatters can victimize anyone, even in Beverly Hills. But the average person victimized by squatters isn’t wealthy and connected. They can’t point to LeBron’s house next door to bring in the media spotlight. They don’t have thousands to pour into eviction litigation or to pay off squatters to leave. They don’t have a second home to escape to. They are just trying to pay the bills.
And in a matter of seconds, their American Dream can be ripped away by criminals.
Stream “American Squatter” today to learn more about how the legal system shields criminal squatters and how every day Americans can protect their most valuable asset.
The Daily Caller’s documentary productions are made possible by our faithful Patriots members, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without them. To watch “American Squatter,” and to help support future investigative documentaries, please consider subscribing.
